Melting the Ice
by Princess of the Knight
Summary: Anzu needed a job to pay for dancing school. She never figured she'd end up working for Seto Kaiba as Mokuba's nanny. Anzu thought it would easy but she soon learns things about the Kaiba bros that she never knew. SetoAnzu
1. I Need a Job

**Disclaimer-** I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh

**Summary**- Being Mokuba Kaiba's nanny did not seem like a hard job. She would get money for dancing and would not have to deal with the self-centered CEO, Seto Kaiba. What Anzu did not realize when she took this job is how much she would learn to love him. Anzu/Seto pairing

**Melting the Ice**

**Chapter 1- I need a job**

Seto Kaiba sat in the back of his limousine. His arms were across his chest and his head low. His ice blue eyes were staring coldly at the front of the limo. The limousine was dark, tinted windows, and leather seats. There were several other neat qualities to the car but right now Seto Kaiba could careless. He would be there soon and he knew he would not be pleased when he arrived. Glancing out the window, he saw familiar street signs. For several months, this had been happening and it was beginning to annoy him. The CEO had to leave his office in the middle of an important conference with several important executives of other companies. When his secretary interrupted on the intercom, he knew it was trouble.

"Another block," he muttered solemnly.

The black limousine pulled up to a school. It was an exclusive looking elementary school. There was a large gate keeping the unwanted out and a long around wall surrounding the school grounds. The car moved around the circular road to the front of the school. It stopped in front of the main doors. The driver would have stepped out to open the door for the young CEO but Seto did not have time. He opened the door himself and stepped out into the cool crisp autumn air. His silver jacket swished behind him, billowing in the breeze as he headed up the front steps. After flinging the door open, he found himself in an all too familiar school.

The hallways were now empty of students who were now all at home. Several teachers were still grading papers, or about to leave. Seto ignored them all as he continued to walk down the hall toward the principal's office. Once he arrived at the door, he peeked in the window and saw his longhaired brother slouching in a chair. After giving a simple knock on the door with his knuckles, he walked in. The principal was an elderly woman. She had gray hair tied back in a bun and bobby pins holding sides of her hair. She wore a white long sleeved blouse with a high collar. She also wore a long skirt, down to her ankles, the color grey. On her feet were flat, black, ankle high boots. Her skin lined with wrinkles, and thick glasses covered her green eyes.

"Welcome Mr. Kaiba," she said looking up from her desk. She held out her hand to signify for him to take a seat. Seto took the chair next to Mokuba who did not look up at his brother. Seto was familiar with this office. He noted the shelves lined with books and knick-knacks, a computer on the left side of the desk, and potted plants on the windowsill. On the desk, was her nametag, which read Mrs. Katou.

"What is the problem?" Seto said calmly. Mrs. Katou removed her glasses from her face and looked at the CEO. Letting out a disappointing sigh she glanced at Mokuba. "Mokuba was caught skipping school by one of the faculty members." Her voice was sharp and to the point. There was a no nonsense tone in her voice. The aging principal looked over at Mokuba who had his eyes lowered, still unable to face his brother. Seto took a deep breath and then spoke without turning his gaze from Mrs. Katou.

"Wait in the limo, Mokuba." Kaiba said sternly.

The younger brother did as told. There was no room for argument or protest and the boy knew it. Slipping out of the chair, he walked out of the office still without facing his brother. Once he was gone, Mrs. Katou sighed again sitting back in her chair. She placed her glasses back on and then looked over at Seto.

"This is the third time he has been caught." She continued. "I am sorry Mr. Kaiba but if this continues he will be expelled from Domino Elementary. Not only that, but your brother's grades have dropped from nearly strait A's to C's and D's. Is there any reason why your brother has been acting like this? Is there trouble at home?"

Seto did not like how she probing into his family life. He stood up which took the principal off guard. She obviously wanted to talk more about Mokuba but Seto did not want to. "I will deal with Mokuba." He said turning to leave. Mrs. Katou was about to protest but decided not to. Finished, he left the room heading toward the main doors. Once returning to the car, he found the driver waiting for him. He opened the door and Seto slipped in. Once the driver returned to his seat, he asked Seto where to. Seto ordered him to take them back to the Kaiba Mansion, and then they were off.

Mokuba was sitting next to his brother, head still low, knowing his brother was furious. The silence between them was agonizing. Mokuba turned his head up to finally face his brother, ready for anything.

"Mokuba," Seto said sharply.

The young boy winced at the sound of his name as if it hurt. The way his brother sounded made him feel nervous, too nervous. Then again, he did not do anything to make his brother proud of him. Sighing he looked up at his brother fully facing him.

"This is been happening far to long." Seto said emotionless. "I cannot be following you every second of the day. Today you knew I was in an important meeting yet you still decided to cause trouble. Not only did I have to reschedule the meeting and possible buying of companies, if another offer comes in, I might lose these deals. I am thinking about hiring someone to watch over you while I am away."

Mokuba mouth gaped open. His eyes were wide as saucers. He could not believe what his brother was thinking. He never needed anyone to watch him before when Seto was away. Then again, he never had been in this much trouble before. The younger Kaiba brother knew he was in danger of expulsion. What surprised Mokuba was why Seto did not ask him **_why _**he was acting like this.

"You want me to h-have an n-nanny?" the boy sputtered. Seto nodded.

**X, X, X,**

"Fifty thousand yen," Anzu Masaki shouted in astonishment. Her cerulean eyes were wide as she stared at the woman across from her. The brown hair girl was accepted to a dancing school, a prestigious dancing school. It was exclusive and very few students were accepted but it was one of the best. The school, known for having many of its students become professional dancers, was not a cheap school. Anzu knew that when she applied. Yet, she badly wanted to become a dancer and knew if she were to join this school, her dreams would come true. However, it seemed it would never happen. She could never afford this school.

"Miss Masaki, if you cannot afford the school now, perhaps at a later date when you have earned enough we can accept you." The head of the school board said. She was a well-dressed woman, thin, and in her mid thirties. She wore her hair short and wore black rimmed glasses. She sat poised, holding herself up as if important.

Looking at her through her bangs, Anzu nodded. She then stood up and after saying a quick thank you left the office. She felt ashamed. Not only was she unable to be able to pay for the school, she knew her parents would never go for it. She walked down the hallway, glancing in a room with people dancing. Solemnly she wished she could be apart of it. Yet with no job and little money put aside, there was no way she could join this year. Unable to watch the dancers' pirouette anymore she left, heading out the door into the outside world.

Anzu tightened her white jacket around her. She was dressed in jeans, and a long sleeved black shirt. Sighing sadly, she headed down the sidewalk away from the school of her dreams.

"I need a job," she muttered. "But where can I get a job without someone from school seeing me. If I get caught then I'll be expelled from school." Frustration set in on the young girl. The dancer crossed the street and saw a newsstand selling magazines, newspapers, books, and other things. Deciding to see if she can find an ad in the paper for a job, she bought one and headed for the near by park. Finding and empty park bench, she sat, and began searching for a job. Pulling out the want ads, she began skimming through the jobs she could get.

"Let's see waitress wanted… can't do that it's during school." She muttered mentally crossing it off the list. She read off all the jobs one after another. Another waitress job, a cashier, a movie usher, house keeping, and so on but none of the jobs could fit her time or pay. Anzu knew she could not be choosy about how much pay but these jobs she would never be able to earn enough money. Rubbing her temples, she then spotted the last ad in the paper. It read:

**Wanted:**

A Nanny

**Times**: Monday-Friday 4:00-9:00 P.M.

Saturday and Sunday 9:00 A.M. - 7:30 P.M.

**Pay:** To be determined

**Call**: 555-1234 to schedule interview

"Pay to be determined," Anzu read it aloud to herself. "The time is perfect too. I get out of school at three thirty!" Anzu was almost too happy. Whipping her cell phone out of her purse, she dialed the number. One ring, then another ring until someone picked up. The person who answered was female.

"Hello, this is Megumi Higarashi how may I help you?" the voice sounded professional. Anzu assumed that the woman was perhaps a secretary. Taking a quick breath the brown haired girl said, "Hi, I am calling for the nanny position."

"Yes, okay well we have several people already sign up for an interview. If you would like one, it will be at tomorrow. You are expected promptly at 4:00 at the Domino Coffee Shop on Two forty three Street. Is that a good time?"

"Yes it is, thank you… um who should I look for?" That was a good question.

"Ask the person working there for S.K. and he will introduce you to him."

"Okay thank you, bye." Anzu hung up her cell phone and jumped up. She was happy that she got the interview and it was right after school. If she got this job, no one would know she was working while going to school. No one would know and get her expelled. The money however was more exciting. She began to dream of how much she would make. She only hoped it was enough to pay for her dance classes. Gathering her things, she walked home in a daze. Yet in the back of her mind, she wondered who this S.K. was.

_No matter as long as he pays well and is not a jerk._

**X, X, X, **

It was nearly the end of school and Anzu felt exited. She could not wait to meet the person who put up the ad. She would run home from school and change so she could look professional. Yugi, Anzu's multi colored haired friend, was sitting next to her. He noticed her excitement. He adjusted himself so he could speak to her, his millennium puzzle falling to his chest. He peeked up at the teacher to see if he was looking and then whispered to Anzu.

"Hey Anzu, what's up? You seem so happy." The short boy asked. Anzu smiled and whispered back to him. "I have an interview for a job." She intentionally kept her voice low. She did not want anyone to hear their conversation. Picking up the ad from under her books, she slipped to Yugi so he could read it. "But after school jobs are not allowed." The boy pointed out. Anzu grabbed the ad back from him and shoved it in her blazer pocket. Placing a finger in against her lips, she let out a soft shush. Suddenly the bell rang and the students flew out the door as if the school was on fire.

Outside the classroom, Yugi and Anzu were at their lockers getting their things. As they packed up to leave, Jonouchi and Honda came up from behind them.

"Hey Yugi," Jonouchi pounced on the boy, wrapping an arm around his neck. He lifted the boy up with his arm and began rubbing hid head. "Come on Honda and me are going to get burgers! Come with us." He let Yugi go so he could respond. The shorter boy adjusted his blazer and shrugged, "Sounds good!" The blond grinned and then gave a thumb up to Honda. They then looked over at Anzu. "You can come too." They offered but she shook her head.

"Sorry I have to be somewhere at four!" she said skipping out the door.

Anzu smiled as she walked down the steps. So happy in fact she was not watching where she was going. The next thing she knew she had crashed right into someone. The impact was not hard but it did make her stumble and fall. Anzu landed on her side against the concrete. "Ouch…" she muttered pushing herself up.

"Why don't you watch where you are going, Masaki!" said a cruel voice.

Anzu looked up through her bangs and found herself looking at Seto Kaiba. He was dressed in the school uniform except right now he had his blue trench coat on. In one hand was a brief case and in the other was a cell phone. He picked himself up and brushed off. Several papers fell from his case, which he quickly shuffled together and placed them in his brief case. "You are a complete klutz. Now because of you I am going to be late for my appointment."

"Sorry!" Anzu replied with a huff.

_What a jerk_!

Just then, Yugi, Jonouchi and Honda arrived in time to save her from Kaiba's verbal assault. Seto eyed them coldly. He watched Yugi help Anzu up while Jonouchi was yelling things at Seto. However, the CEO did not care and did not even pay attention to the way Jonouchi was shouting. With a wave of his hand, Jonouchi stopped shouting.

"Why don't you stop barking up a scene you mutt?" Seto asked with a smirk. That got Jonouchi all riled up. He was about to go swinging at the CEO when Honda pulled him back. Jonouchi struggled from his grasp, trying his best to break free so he could at least get in a swing. Seto walked off, his trench coat flying behind him. Once he was gone, Jonouchi finally calmed down but was greatly irritated.

"Ignore him Jonouchi." Honda said letting his friend go. "He wants to get you mad." Yugi nodded and then noticed Anzu was rubbing her side. "Are you okay?" Yugi questioned, obviously worried. The short boy's cheeks went a slight shade of red but it went unnoticed.

"I'm okay." She replied. Just then, she looked at her watch and let out a horrified scream. The three boys looked at her. Anzu gathered her book bag she had dropped. "I am late… I have to go now!" Anzu then sprinted across the school grounds and toward the coffee house. She would have no time to go home and she would be lucky if she would make it on time for her four o'clock meeting.

"That was weird." Jonouchi admitted as he watched the girl leave. "Oh well, let's get some burgers!" Yugi cheered and the three boys headed for the nearest fast food restaurant.

**X, X, X, **

Anzu rushed down the streets of Domino to get to the coffee shop. Even in this cool weather, she could feel perspiration beading down her head. Taking deep breaths once, she reached the coffee shop she wiped the sweat from her brow and looked at her watch. It read 3:56. She had four minutes to spare. Brushing her school clothes, she tried to make herself look more presentable. Taking a deep breath, she entered the coffee house and walked up to the front.

"Excuse me; I am here to meet S.K." Anzu said remembering what the secretary on the phone had said. The man behind the counter jabbed his thumb to a booth in the far corner. She saw someone's arm sticking out from the side but she could not see whoever it was. Taking a deep breath, placing a cheery smile on her face, she headed toward the booth.

**X, X, X,**

Seto looked at his watch. He arrived seven minutes prior to the interview. He had to pick up Mokuba from school so he could meet the potential nanny. She would be here any minute. Mokuba had scooted off to the bathroom and would return soon. Sighing he picked up his cup of coffee and hoped that this person would be better then the other airheads that called. A few of them were so dumb that Kaiba would fear they would do something stupid. Some were rather lazy and others were suspicious characters.

As he sipped his coffee, he heard the door open and could clearly hear the person entering. He assumed this person was here for him. Straitening up he heard the clicking of her heels against the floor.

"Excuse me are you S.K." said a voice.

Seto Kaiba turned around and nearly spit out the coffee he was drinking. "Masaki!" he gasped. "KAIBA!" Anzu shrilled. The two stared at each other just as Mokuba came out of the bathroom.

"Hey, Anzu what are you doing here?" Mokuba asked. Anzu looked at the boy and then let out a sad laugh.

"I'm here for the job." She voiced.

X, X, X,

**Author's note**- End of chapter one, wow I just was inspired with this story and had to write it. Anyway thanks for reading and please leave a review.

Just a note 50,000 yen is around 500 or something U.S. I just pulled out a number in my head.


	2. Good Idea, Bad Idea

**Disclaimer- I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh**

**Melting the Ice**

**Chapter 2- Good idea, bad idea**

Mokuba looked at Anzu, his eyes sparkling. The young boy seemed relieved. Seto could also see hope in the young boy's eyes. Yet in his mind, he would rather have a wild animal watching his brother then her, Anzu Masaki! Personally, he could not stand the irritable girl. They way she stood on the sidelines during Yugi's duels and cheering. His despise for Yugi led him to dislike his little group greatly. Standing up, the CEO stared down at the shorter girl. His cold blue eyes pierced through her, causing the young girl to bite her lower lip. Yet she would not be intimidated.

"Big brother, she is perfect! I want her as my nanny." The younger brother spoke up.

Anzu gritted her teeth and then placed on a smile on her face. Mokuba was one thing. She did not mind watching him. What she did mind was that **SETO KAIBA** would be her employer. Then again, she did realize something. He was rich! The man lived in a mansion, drove around in limousines, and who knew what else. If she received this job, she would definitely earn enough for her dance class.

"She is not setting one foot near our mansion." Seto said firmly. "She has no qualifications and plus after school jobs are forbidden. Although I would love to see you expelled I would rather not pay you a cent. In a matter fact I don't want to pay you attention."

Anzu opened her mouth to protest but the CEO was already leaving the coffee shop. He began mumbling under his breath about how it was a waste of his time. Once he reached the coffee shop door, he turned to see Mokuba still by Anzu's side. He ordered the young boy to come. Sighing, Mokuba followed leaving an angry and yet upset Anzu alone. Sighing Anzu sat down in the booth for a second to rest her tired legs. Not only was all the running for nothing she did not even get a chance to try to persuade Seto to let he watch Mokuba. Glancing at her watch, Anzu decided to get a cup of coffee to go and walk home.

Once outside, Kaiba called for his limousine to pick him and Mokuba up. A minute later, the car pulled out in front of them and the chauffer hurried out. He opened the door for his boss and his brother. Seto slid in and Mokuba followed. The door then closed behind him. Once the car pulled away, Mokuba began to chew on his lower lip. Then gathering all his courage, he knew just the way to approach his brother on this delicate situation.

"I want Anzu as my nanny." The boy said suddenly.

Seto looked at his brother as if he was mad. The thought of Masaki being his little brother's nanny was preposterous. However, the young boy seemed serious about it.

"She would be a good nanny." Mokuba continued, "She is my friend and not some stranger. I can trust her."

Seto snorted out a laugh. He leaned back in his seat and could not believe what his little brother said. He would not be surprised if Anzu failed on her first day. She was just another airhead, mindless, little girl who sat on the sidelines. Hell would have to have frozen over for him to choose Anzu as a babysitter.

"She did save my life. Remember at battle city and your life at duelist kingdom." The young boy pointed out. Inwardly Seto swore. He knew that for a fact Yugi would have finished him off had Anzu not begged him to stop. As for Battle city, she did get Mokuba free from the rare hunters. Swearing repeatedly under his breath, he shifted his eyes to his innocent little brother. Mokuba smiled up at him looking incredibly adorable, his large orbs pleading with him. Seto could not stand the fact that he could not deny the boy what he wanted. Letting out a small smile onto his face, the CEO shook his head.

"Looks like hell just froze over," he sighed. Then with a press of a button, he spoke into the intercom telling to the driver to take him back to the coffee house. Mokuba grinned like a Cheshire cat.

**X, X, X,**

With coffee cup in hand, Anzu headed down the sidewalk back toward her home. Not only did she waste her time but also she still had no job. Sighing she took a sip of the liquid, which warmed her chilly body. Glancing around she noticed how beautiful it was outside, despite the chilly air. The sky was clear blue and the leaves were becoming orange, yellow, and red. It almost seemed like she was walking in a painting. Forgetting about her disappointment, she made plans for when she returned home. She would take a nice long bath, do her homework, eat dinner, and then find something fun to do before bed. Yes, it sounded nice.

Unknowing to Anzu, a black limousine was pulling up beside her. The next thing she knew she found the door opening and Mokuba Kaiba telling her to come inside the limousine. Reluctantly she bowed her head and stepped inside. She took a seat on the side to the left of the door. She looked around in awe. Kaiba sure did ride in style.

"What's this all about?" Anzu asked when the car began to move. Seto looked down at Mokuba as if telling him to explain. The younger boy smiled brightly at the brown haired girl. She sipped her coffee waiting for Mokuba to explain.

"Anzu, we want you to be my nanny." Mokuba explained happily. Seto let out a snort when Mokuba said, "we." The younger brother how ever ignored it. "You are perfect and we know we can trust you."

Anzu's cerulean eyes went wide. She nearly dropped her coffee cup had she not regained herself. Anzu's eyes went from Mokuba to Seto. The CEO was not facing her, to which Anzu concluded he did not trust her. However, she figured Mokuba persuaded the CEO to have her as the new nanny.

"So when do I start?" Anzu asked with a smile.

"Tomorrow, meet me at Domino Elementary," Mokuba explained.

Anzu nodded drinking her coffee with a smile. She then noticed the CEO nudge Mokuba. Secretly the CEO was telling him to finish. The younger brother realized he was leaving something out and said, "Oh yeah, you can't tell anyone you are working for my brother. You have to be on time each day, you will also get holidays off. You have to call in advance if you are sick preferably they day before. "

The brown haired girl nodded as Mokuba ticked of rule after rule. Yet, she did not understand why she could not tell anyone she was working for Seto Kaiba. She shrugged it off though. She was getting a job. Who cares what kind of rules there were? Some of them sounded stupid but all she cared about was seeing that beautiful money she would make to get dance classes. After a short drive and Mokuba giving her the details about the occupation the limousine stopped. She looked through the tinted windows and saw she was near one of the streets leading to her house.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow Anzu." Mokuba said. Anzu grabbed the door handle and pushed the door open. Smiling, she waved good-bye to the happy young boy. Closing the door, she stepped up onto the curb and headed for her house. Inside, Seto was still looking as cold and stern as ever. The young boy turned his bright eyes toward his big brother. He was happy.

"What's wrong Seto?" The young boy pondered.

"I don't like this at all Mokuba." Seto sighed.

"Why, Anzu would be great!"

"I just think it's a bad idea."

**X, X, X,**

When Anzu walked into her house, she heard the phone ringing off the hook. Rushing over, she grabbed it and said, "Hello?" It turned out to be Yugi.

"Hey, Anzu," He chirped excitedly.

"Hey Yugi," She replied trying to hide her excitement.

"Sounds like you didn't get the job."

"Yeah, I was too young and inexperienced."

"Well how about I cheer you up. Let's go get a milkshake with Jonouchi and Honda."

"No, no I have to do homework."

"Okay, how about tomorrow then?"

"Um… ah… sorry Yugi I'm busy then too."

Anzu was trying to figure out an excuse to tell her friend but none came to her mind. Lucky for her Yugi dropped it. After talking for a little bit more, she hung up and began her homework.

Working at her desk in her room, she thought about her job as she did her math problems. She was excited and yet incredibly nervous. She did not know how she would handle this. It was Mokuba though and not Seto Kaiba. How hard could it be looking after him anyway? He was not too young and rambunctious as other kids and he was her friend too. Then a thought lingered in her head.

_Why does Mokuba need a nanny anyway?_

Finishing her homework up Anzu stretched out and went into her bathroom to take a nice long bath. No to mention the earlier thought she still wondered why they had so many rules about her working for the Seto. Was he **THAT** paranoid that people were out to get him? Anzu, however, shrugged the thought off and leaned back in her tub.

**X, X, X,**

At the Kaiba mansion, Mokuba was doing his homework on the floor of his room. The room was large. The carpets were a dark blue, his bed a king size, with royal blue covers. The walls were a silver color. A ceiling fan hung from the center of the room, two polished smooth ivory color dressers were on each end. A small nightstand with a lamp, a small deck of duel monsters card and a clock were near the bed. The far end of the room opposite of the door was another door that led to the balcony. Mokuba stared up from his homework out of boredom. His dinner was sitting next to him, a simple meal of pizza and fries with a glass of his favorite drink. Mokuba nibbled on the cheesy pizza as he lazily did his homework. Right now, he would have liked to watch TV or play video games. Looking out of the door to his room, he saw no one. Grinning, he hurried over and shut the large door so he could have fun.

He opened up one of the dressers to reveal a large TV with the latest video game system. He popped in one of his favorite games and began to have fun. Nearly a half-hour past since he started playing. The young boy sighed as he easily passed level after level with ease. It would have been better if he had someone to play with. Perhaps maybe tomorrow Anzu and he could have a go. Just then, there was a knock on the door, which startled Mokuba. Gasping the young boy stopped his game, dove to the floor, and pretended to do his work.

"Come in," he knew who it was, "Seto!"

The door opened, and sure enough, Seto Kaiba walked in. He was dressed in black jeans, a dark blue shirt, and black shoes. He strolled in not caring to close the door behind him.

"How's the homework coming?" The older brother asked taking a seat on the edge of the bed. Mokuba shrugged as he attempted to do a math problem involving fractions. Right now, he wished he had not missed class, because he had no idea how to do the work.

"Seto can you help me?" The young asked.

Seto scooted down to the floor next to his brother. He looked over at the simple problem and smiled. Taking a scrap piece of paper and a pencil, he showed Mokuba how to do it. Mokuba watched and then a small smile crept to his face. Seto watched as his little brother tried the math problem. It took him a few minutes but he was able to get it.

"Good, Mokuba I…" Just then, Seto heard his cell phone ring. Pulling it off his belt, he flipped it open. Mokuba watched, biting his lower lip. Seto got up from the floor and began talking whoever it was on the other end of the phone. Then he noticed Seto heading for the door.

"Seto I still need help with my homework!" Mokuba called.

"Sorry Mokuba," Seto said covering up the end of the cell phone. "This is important."

With that said, Seto Kaiba left the room, closing the door behind him. Mokuba was alone. The young boy looked at his unfinished homework and out of frustration threw his books and things aside. Then he fell onto his bed, angry, hurt, and above all alone.

**X, X, X, **

The next morning Anzu awoke with her alarm clock beeping. Jumping out of bed, she hurried along. She grabbed her school clothes and undergarments from her closet and dressers. After a quick shower, the brown haired girl dressed in her school attire. She brushed her hair free of it tangles and then went down to make some breakfast. She made herself some eggs, toast, and a glass of orange juice. She ate while reading the morning paper that her father had probably read before going to work. None of the headlines seemed interesting at least to her.

After eating, she washed her utensils, plate, and glass. She dried them with a dishtowel and then placed them in a cupboard. Finished cleaning up the kitchen she headed up the stairs to brush her teeth and gather her things for the walk to school.

While she brushed her teeth, she looked at herself in the mirror. She was excited. Today was her first day on her knew job. Yet, she had to act sad as though she did not get so no one would be suspicious. Then again if anyone found out whom she was working for, gossip would start. Sighing she finished brushing her teeth and grabbed her bag so she could head off to school. Hurrying down the stairs, she placed on her shoes and jacket, and went out the door.

The air was crisp and cool this morning. The sun was barely peeking out over the horizon. The sky was a mixture of purple, red, and pink hues. The stars were beginning to disappear from the sky. The sounds of crickets chirping were heard. There were few cars on the streets at this hour.

After walking several blocks, she turned to the main street that would lead her strait to her school. She then noticed another street leading off to Domino Elementary. "I guess what's where Mokuba's school is," she stated the obvious. "I wonder where I should meet him at his school."

She continued to walk when she came to a restaurant that served breakfast. She looked into the window, seeing several people. After passing the window, she stopped, turned around and looked back inside. Hands pressed against the glass, she peered inside and saw Mokuba. The younger Kaiba brother was sitting at a table eating breakfast. Normally, Anzu would have thought it would be okay but when she did not see a limousine, or Seto anywhere, and it made her worry. Deciding to make sure Mokuba was okay she walked in.

The restaurant was nice, well kept, but small. It had yellow tile floors, red booths and chairs; tope color walls, and white counters. There was a menu placed above the register, and a ceiling fan was slowly moving. The person behind the counter was wearing a uniform and was smiling at her. Ignoring her Anzu headed toward the table Mokuba was sitting.

"Can I join you?" Anzu asked.

Mokuba jumped and looked up at Anzu. He was wearing navy color pants, and lighter blue shirt. Anzu assumed this was his school uniform. Mokuba was eating a complete meal of pancakes, cereal, toast and a large glass of juice. Sliding into the chair opposite of him, she gave him a cheery smile. Mokuba dropped his fork on his plate. He was looking down as if he had something wrong.

"Where is your brother?" she asked.

"Not here," Mokuba muttered staring at his breakfast.

Anzu gave him a puzzled look. Perhaps he came here alone. Tilting her head to the side, she looked down at his breakfast.

"Maybe someday we can eat here together?" it was only a suggestion.

Mokuba sighed. "I was **supposed** to be here with Seto but he got called in before school to go to work. Then he dropped me off at school giving me money to buy a snack."

The words coming from the young boy sounded bitter. "How about you finish eating and I walk you to school?" Mokuba gave her a small smile and then nodded. "And how about after school you and I go have some fun? With all this schoolwork, I need some fun. Besides today is Friday!"

Mokuba nodded. "Sure."

**X, X, X,**

**Author note- End of chapter 2 and well Anzu has a job but what is wrong with Mokuba? Guess you will have to wait until the next chapter to find out.**

**Thanks to the following for reviewing**

**Lathayan-** You are the **first** person to review. Glad you thought it was cool. Thanks for the review

**Marin M-** Glad you like the idea, this is going to be a long story though. Thanks for the review.

**MacDuffyGirl-** Yeah I am not too fond of Anzu/Yugi or Yami. I like Malik, Bakura or Seto with her. They are more interesting I think. Thanks for the review.

**MonkeyLuv4646-** Yes they were shocked and here is your update. Thanks for the review.

**Stvbnk4eva-** I will keep writing as long as I have inspiration and my fingers. Thanks for the review

**Xivv-** I am glad at least I someone reviewing my stories. Thanks for the review.

**LuvinAniManga-** I love those stories too and I hope you like this one. Thanks for the review

**Mandybelle-** Yes, I love the fact that they had a run in. Notice how in most stories that how it happens. Darn not that original as I thought I was. Thanks for the review.

**Mischiefmagnet-** Glad you thought it was good. Thanks for the review.

**Lily-** Sorry I update as fast as I can. Thanks for the review.

**Fox-san-** Do not die please! Here is in an update.

**Starian Princess- **I am glad that you like my writing. It makes me feel special and happy. Thanks for the review.


	3. The Truth is

**Melting the Ice**

**Chapter 3- The truth is**

After leaving Mokuba at his elementary school, Anzu hurried along so she would be on time for her first class. She had rushed down the sidewalks to her school and bounded up the steps. Reaching her locker, she kicked off her shoes and placed on her school ones. Grabbing the books she needed she then hurried to her classroom, nearly crashing into several people at the same time. Once inside the classroom she slid across the floor and into her desk. Sighing softly she looked up and noticed most of her classmates staring at her. She gave them a nervous smile and took out her notes.

Seto was sitting in his desk, reading a book. Slowly his eyes shifted toward her for a second and then back to his book. Mentally he was thinking of how a bad idea this would be. He could just imagine finding his mansion in ruins the moment he returns from his office. Just as he thought that, the teacher had walked into the room with his briefcase in hand. Seto placed his book back in his bag and waited for this incredibly boring lecture to begin. Like usual the old teacher was droning on and on about history that made all the students head droop.

Jonouchi was snoozing in his desk five minutes into the class, his book propped up to cover his face. Honda was peeking over the girl who was sitting in front of him shoulder so he could copy down the answers for the homework. Yugi was slipping notes back and forth with Anzu. Seto noticed these little quirks and rolled his eyes at how pathetic Yugi's group was. Jonouchi was at the bottom of the class as well as Honda and Yugi are. He was rather surprised that Anzu was in the top since she hung around those slackers. Then again, Yugi and Jonouchi were always in duels and could easily make money but Honda just a tag along, a cheerleader. Seto rolled his eyes again as he listened to the teacher drone on.

Anzu carefully flipped the note Yugi had wrote her open. She made sure the teacher was not looking, lucky for her he had his nose in the book and was reading everything word for word. Opening it, she read the let out a soft sigh. Yugi was trying to coax her to hang out this weekend but she had no chance in that. She did not know if Seto would need her. She quickly jotted down, "Maybe I might have chores." Yes, that would do. He would not press on it at all. Lucky for her he did not.

Sighing again, Anzu looked out the window and watched the leaves fly in the breeze. In the back of her mind, she was thinking about what Mokuba was doing. He seemed so sad and not the usual cheery Mokuba she was use to. Slowly she glanced over to Seto, wondering if he had anything to do with it. He sat there, strait, good posture and looking as if he was important. Then again, he was rich, he wanted to look important and not like a slob. She looked away as Yugi passed the note back. Looking up at the teacher to see if he was looking, she then unfolded the paper and began to read.

In Domino Elementary, Mokuba was sitting in class wishing he were at the arcade. The teacher was going on about fractions, something he did not have any interest with at all. Letting out a groan, his head slumped on his desk and watched his teacher show the class how to do homework problems. Mokuba's eyes fell to his homework paper. It was only half done because he did not bother to finish it. Seto did help him on the few problems before the phone call but because he left, he did not want to finish it. He knew he would be scolded for handing in a paper that was not fully done. Yet, it did not bother the youngster. He could care less right now. He was however looking forward to spending an afternoon with Anzu instead of being alone in a huge mansion.

Tapping his pencil against the desk, his mind began to wonder. His wide eyes traveled around the room, searching for something interesting. There was a globe, a chalkboard, and maps, nothing mildly interesting to grab his attention. His seat was far from the windows so he could not glance around outside.

"Mokuba Kaiba," The teacher called, snapping the boy from his daze.

Mokuba looked up and said, "Yes, Ma'am?"

"Would you please come up to the board and do the next problem?" She said holding out a piece of chalk.

Inwardly Mokuba wished he were paying attention now. Rising from his seat, he took the piece of chalk, and wrote the problem on the board. The teacher told him the problem and asked him to do it. Mokuba froze, trying to remember what little Seto taught him. Slowly he began to write the problem, ignoring the snickering from his classmates. Finishing the problem, he looked over at the teacher. Instead of looking pleased, her face was sour. Mokuba knew he was wrong.

"Mokuba, have you done the homework and attended class more often you would be up to speed with the rest of the class." Mokuba felt his face burn. "Go stand out in the hall." She pointed to the door. Hanging his head in shame, bangs covering his eyes he headed out the door.

Out in the hall, the younger Kaiba leaned against the wall, looking at the ceiling. His eyes traveled up and down the hall, wishing someone would pass by. Then again, he could have just skipped right out the door. Then he remembered Anzu was expecting him here after school. She was his new nanny. The thought of her was not so bad. At least he did not get some warty, old bat that would be strict. Anzu was kind and understanding. Luckily, he was able to persuade Seto into hiring her. Then again, if he got some other stupid nanny he would have gotten rid of her in seconds. Mokuba was not really a bad kid. He was just unhappy with his life. He knew it too.

"This is going to be a long day." He breathed.

As the end of the school day rolled around, Anzu was at her locker quickly packing her books and notebooks in her backpack. Once fully packed, she zipped it up and then fished her shoes out of her locker. Slipping off her schools ones, she lifted her leg and slipped on one shoe then the other. The black shoes hugged her feet comfortably, better then her school ones. Finding her coat, she placed it on and then her baby blue scarf to keep her warm. Finished she closed her locker, grabbed her backpack, and flung it over her shoulder.

"HEY, Anzu," Someone called out to her.

Turning on her heels she looked back to see Yugi and her friends waving good-bye. She gave them a quick wave and said, "See you guys later," then hurried off to pick up Mokuba.

"I wish I didn't have so much homework," she thought aloud.

All the books were weighing down her back. Walking from her school to Mokuba's school was not going to be something she was looking forward to, especially when it got colder. Several times, Anzu looked over her shoulder to make sure Yugi or someone was not following her. Last thing she needed was for one of them to discover this job. When she worked at Burger World Yugi and Jonouchi had followed her. Luckily, they kept her secret but she was not sure of them liking the idea of her working for **THE** Seto Kaiba.

Making her way up the front gates, she noticed several students being picked up in expensive looking cars others in limousines.

"Makes me wonder why Kaiba goes to our school and not some classy one…" she wondered aloud as she looked around for Mokuba. Then she spotted the young boy leaning against the school wall, hands jammed in his pockets. His eyes were cast down as if he was interested in his sneakers.

"Mokuba," Anzu called out nearing him. Glancing up the boy gave her a smile. He took a few steps down the stairs toward her. He gave her a warm greeting and then adjusted his backpack.

"Ready to go?" Mokuba asked.

"Go where?" The brown haired girl answered.

The younger Kaiba grinned and watched as his limousines came up. Out of all the cars and limousines pulling up, Anzu had to admit the Kaiba limousine was the most extravagant. Not to mention the driver was very professional. He stood tall and opened the door for them. He walked with pride in each step and he looked clean cut. He wore a black suit with a chauffeur's hat. On his jacket was a pin with the Kaiba Corp. symbol. Anzu wondered if she would get a pin to carry. The thought would be funny yet it would make her seem important.

Sitting down, Anzu placed her bag on the floor. The inside was nice and warm and the tinted windows were up. She noticed Mokuba crawling to a little cooler in the limousine and pulled out two bottles of soda pop. He gave one to Anzu and then sat down beside her.

"It'll be a while until we reach the mansion." Mokuba explained, opening his bottle. He drank several large gulps while Anzu managed to open hers. She took a drink and then said, "Cherry."

"We have grape or orange." He said about to go get another bottle.

"Oh its fine but your mansion… I mean your brother's mansion… I thought we were going out?" She stumbled through her words. The little boy nodded.

"Well we are but I do want to get out of these dumb school clothes." He noted tugging at the uniform. Anzu had to admit he looked adorable in it though. Like a young sophisticated little boy.

The ride to Kaiba mansion was enjoyable. Mokuba had a TV monitor in the limousine and it turned out the two were watching some cartoon. It was rather amusing though. Not to mention it made the ride go faster. Anzu lost all track of time and only noticed they were at Kaiba mansion when Mokuba pointed it out. The girl pressed her hands to the window and stared out in utter amazement. The mansion was **HUGE**! She never saw the mansion up close until now and it was like a palace. It looked as if it could have hundreds of rooms. The grounds of the mansion were massive. If Anzu had walked from the gate to the door, it seemed like it would take hours! The outside looked very well kept. The trees, the flowerbeds, the bushes were professionally done and would bring any other garden to shame.

"Mokuba… this is AMAZING!" Anzu exclaimed.

"And that's only the outside." Mokuba pointed out.

After getting out of the limousine, Mokuba and Anzu headed up the front steps. The doors to the mansion opened with two servants dressed in black suits holding the door. Both were wearing dark sunglasses and earpieces. They looked like secrete agents or something. They watched Anzu suspiciously, which made her nervous but Mokuba seemed calm. However her nervousness vanished when she looked at the inside hall. It was amazing to say the least!

Hanging from the ceiling was a grand chandelier. The walls were white and covered with paintings and other décor ties. In front of her was a split staircase, both leading up and around to the second floor. Connecting the stairs was a balcony, which led to the hallway, splitting off in three directions. The banister was white and soft blue. At the end were statues looking like blue eyes white dragons. The floor looked marble and covered with a blue carpet, a very plush and expensive looking carpet. Directly in front of her, under the balcony, two French doors, with images made in stain glass that resembled blue eyes white dragons.

Mokuba carelessly tossed his backpack down on the ground and said, "Make yourself at home in the living room." Mokuba said bounding up the staircase. Anzu marveled at the beautiful hall when she noticed one of the men opened a door to her left. The doors were also French doors, but with plain glass this time.

"This way, Miss." The man said holding it open for her.

Anzu slipped off her shoes and ushered into a living room. The man took Anzu's bag and coat from her. She was startled at first, not use to someone doing some for her. Not to mention this living room was like an entertainment center. The carpet was white as well as the walls. In the ceiling, several lights are imbedded and turned into different directions. A flat screen plasma TV was on the other end of the room with a couch set. There was a large stereo system and different kind of video game systems. A fireplace was in the center left wall. Also on the walls were paintings, a mirror, and other things all around to room to make it cozy.

Anzu took a seat on the sofa, gently sitting down as if almost afraid. The place just screamed how rich Kaiba was. Anzu felt nervous sitting in this room, as if she did not belong. She swallowed feeling anxious at how quiet the place was as well. Then again, the only two people who actually lived here, again, she was assuming was Mokuba and his brother. No matter how extravagant the house looked and how cozy it seemed Anzu felt sense of loneliness with in it. Before Anzu could think, Mokuba entered from the other end of the room. His sudden presence startled her.

"Hey Anzu, sorry I took so long." Mokuba apologized. He was dressed in jeans, an orange and yellow striped shirt, with a white undershirt, and white socks. He moved around the room carelessly as he dodged the coffee table and the couch set to the other end where Anzu was.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

"Where should we go?" Anzu asked, "After all this is my first day on the job."

Mokuba thought long and hard. When he figured something out, he snapped his fingers. He gave her a grin, took her hand, and led her out the room. Back in the main hall, he looked at the two men.

"Call for the limo!" he instructed. He turned to Anzu.

"Oh it isn't fancy or anything right? I though we could just get some burgers or pizza."

"It's not fancy, but what were you suggesting?" The younger boy looked curious.

"Well how about we ditch the limo first off and just take a nice walk?" she suggested. "No offense but riding in the limo draws so much attention and no one is suppose to know I'm your nanny remember?"

Mokuba looked at the two men and then waved off his last command. He looked up at Anzu and then watched at the servant brought back her coat. He held it out for her and she placed it on. She then held out her hand and together the two walked out of the front doors.

In the Kaiba Corp. headquarters, Seto Kaiba was sitting in his desk. His laptop was open and papers were scattered amongst his desk. Yet he was not getting much work done at all. The CEO was having trouble concentrating on his work. His mind was on the brunette. He was praying his mansion would not be in shambles when he returned. Throwing his pen down on the desk, he rubbed his face in frustration. Seto knew he would not get any work done.

"I need a break," he muttered. Pushing his leather chair from the desk, he stood up. He shuffled all the papers in a neat pile and then grabbed his dark blue trench coat. He headed out the door past his secretary.

"Hold my calls," he said shortly as he left his office doors. He needed something to eat and maybe some coffee. Hoping that would calms his nerves. Just as he left out the hall, he heard his secretary call to him.

"Mr. Kaiba, are you still holding that dinner party?" she asked, "Mr. Kaido would like me to confirm it and he will arrive late." The CEO turned around and nodded and then left, wishing he had a secretary who knew what "hold my calls" are.

Anzu and Mokuba sat eating ice cream cones in Domino Park. After having some dinner at a burger place the two went to a near by arcade. The two challenged each other at video games. Mokuba won all the fighting and racing ones since he owned many different types. However, when Anzu suggested a dancing game she easily beat him, being a superior dancer after all. Once they had spent all their tokens, the two headed inside several shops looking at things. Mokuba was having fun in the toy stores, looking at all the latest games and toys. After that, Anzu suggested the two go and get ice cream from her favorite place near the Domino Park. Anzu treated Mokuba to a large chocolate and vanilla swirl. It was dipped in chocolate and had sprinkles all over it. Anzu got herself a chocolate ice cream cone.

"Wow this is good!" Mokuba said as he gobbled his ice cream up. Anzu gave him a cheerful smile. She licked some of her ice cream and feeling the cold dessert go down her throat. After eating nearly her whole cone, she noticed Mokuba had not said a word. At first, she though he was just tired but she noticed his eyes were sad.

"Mokuba is something wrong?" she asked bluntly. At first, the boy did not respond. Anzu asked again and this time Mokuba snapped at her.

"**NOTHING IS WRONG**!"

Startled, Anzu looked away, feeling rather shocked. Mokuba had never shouted at her and the sudden outburst caused people passing by to glance at them. Looking over, Mokuba felt back and instantly apologized.

"Sorry Anzu… the truth is…" he trailed off. Anzu turned her cerulean orbs to his eyes. She gave him a gentle, warm feeling inside of him. Right now, he felt he could trust her.

"The truth is I miss my brother."

**Author note-** End of chapter three and I must say sorry it took so long. It is very hard to write when my muse is lost and I cannot concentrate. Well I will try to get chapter four up soon.

**Next chapter- **There is a party at the Kaiba mansion. A highly sophisticated gathering but there is only one person really looking forward to this party. Who is it? In addition, why does Mokuba miss his brother? Will Anzu be able to help? Find out in the next chapter.

**Thanks to the following**

**Laythayan- **Yeah, well Mokuba has to have a reason for it, right? A little obvious though. Thanks for the review.

**PrincessMoonliteErika- **Your review was fine. Any response is good form my readers. Thanks for the review.

**LuvinAniManga- **Sorry, it took so long to update.Thanks for the review.

**Mischiefmagnet**- I hope Seto's opinions will change of Anzu… if not there going to have one crazy relationship.Thanks for the review.

**AmberEyezBright- **Wow, I am glad you think highly of me. I try to give little information out and put in enough detail without my story to be boring. I like leaving things up to the imagination too.Thanks for the review.

**MacDuffyGirl- **This one took a while because my muse is gone. When that happens I try to write and nothing happens. Thanks for the review.

**Fox-san- **Glad you like it. Thanks for the review.

**Mandybelle- **I am sure Mokuba will get better at school. He has Anzu who is smart… well at least I hope he gets betterThanks for the review.

**Bradybunch4529- Yes**, Mokuba is going to be showing sides Anzu has never seen before. Maybe she will see a side of Seto, too. Never know with me. Thanks for the review.

**Lady-Azura- **I will try to update chapter four faster then this one. Thanks for the review.

**Lily- **Sorry to keep you waiting.Thanks for the review.

**Amazoness Archer- **Glad to see you reading this story too. I figured since I wrote a Anzu/Malik and a Anzu/Bakura story I should write this couple too. Thanks for the review.

**Blue Eyed Angel101- **Thanks for the review.

**John Cena's Basketball- **John Cena is awesome! I did not mean to stop but it is hard to write at times for me, which takes its toll on my readers. SO SORRYThanks for the review.


	4. Party Favors

**Melting the Ice**

**Chapter 4: Part Favors**

"You _miss_ your brother?" Anzu repeated, stunned and confused with young boy's revelation.

Mokuba looked down at his sneakers, becoming suddenly interested in them. His eyes brimmed with tears. All emotions he had bottled up were boiling over. The boy had first been angry for Anzu for prying. Yet, realization hit him. He needed to confide into someone. Finally, he tore his eyes from his sneakers. His head tilted up at the sky. Then after finally finding his voice again, he spoke to her. Telling his painful feelings to his new nanny perhaps would make him feel better.

"I miss Seto a lot." The young boy spoke truthfully. "Lately he has been working on new deals for Kaiba Corps. He has been buying out competition, bringing out new gaming equipment, and so much more. It has been like this for a few months now. Sometimes Seto would be at his office until past midnight working. I barely get to see him."

The pieces were falling into place. Anzu could see the hurt and pain in his eyes. It made her heart ache just to see someone like him be sad. It reminded her of the mansion. There was no warmth within the walls of the Kaiba mansion. Fill to capacity with luxurious items, things she could only dream of seeing, yet it felt empty. It came down to that old saying, _Money can't buy happiness_. Right now, Anzu could see it fit well with the situation.

"Why not tell your brother how you feel?" Anzu asked, her orbs focusing on him.

Mokuba let out a bitter laugh, surprising Anzu. She had known Mokuba for a long time and yet she never heard him sound so angry. She believed he praised his brother no matter how wrong he was at times, or stubborn, or arrogant.

"You think I haven't tried?" His voice was sour. "You think I'm **stupid**?"

The older girl's hand flew up in defense. She had not meant for her words to come out like that. Nervously, she gently rubbed the back of her neck. Seeing how uncomfortable she looked, Mokuba apologized. It must have been the months of loneliness that made the boy become bitter. Perhaps the same reason he was skipping school and not getting top grades like he use too.

"Mokuba, you can't get mad your brother is trying to help you." Anzu tried to help. "It must be hectic but believe me your brother still cares for you and wants a good life for you."

The younger Kaiba did not seem moved by her words. Of all the times, she saw Seto Kaiba begin cold and cruel to others, she knew Mokuba could warm his icy heart. Seto had a soft spot for his little brother. Of course, blood was thicker then water. Yet the frown on his little face made Anzu want to hug the boy. She felt the need to help him. She **is** his nanny after all! Gently placing a hand on his shoulder, she gave a warm smile. The young boy's eyes found her gentle face. Her warm smile dissolved the bitter tears in his eyes.

"How about I talk to your brother?" Anzu asked. "Perhaps I can get him to take a day off and spend some time with you?"

Instantly the young boys face beamed. He stared at the cerulean-eyed girl in a mixture of happiness, disbelief, and warmth. Then without warning, he flung his arms around her. The sudden contact surprised Anzu, but the second after she hugged him back. Gently, her hand found his back and began to rub it. Parting, Anzu looked at her watch and gaped. She jumped up from her spot in shock. It was getting late and the last thing she needed was Kaiba chewing her out for not being at the mansion with Mokuba. That was the last thing she needed on her first day.

"Come on we have to get back!" Anzu said.

Jumping off the bench the nanny and the boy hurried from the park back to the giant mansion. Upon returning to the front door of the mansion, both Mokuba and Anzu were breathless and sweaty from the mad dash they made. Although exhausted it was rather fun. The doors to the mansion opened and once again, Anzu was relieved of her coat. She took off her shoes and watched Mokuba throw his stuff to the other butler. As Mokuba was trying to pull off his right sneaker, Anzu noticed the room to the right doors closed. Pondering what that room was she decided why not ask the person who lived their. Turning to the young boy, she asked.

"Mokuba what's in that room?"

Mokuba noticed her thumb pointing to the closed doors. Finally pulling off his sneaker, he dropped it carelessly to the floor. It landed with a thump and a second later, the butler picked it up.

"A dining hall, it's where we have parties. Big brother uses it for these formal get-togethers. He does not have them often but it works. We usually eat in there."

Anzu nodded. She wondered how fancy that room must look. Mokuba tugged on her sleeve and motioned for her to follow him. Mokuba bounded up the right staircase. Half way up he looked at Anzu to see if she was following. When she was at his heels, he ran up the rest of them. At the balcony, Mokuba headed through the hallway and turned left. He ran down the plush dark blue carpet with Anzu at his heels. It was funny how the young boy could switch gears so fast. One moment he was mad, then upset, and now he seemed like the same old Mokuba.

"Mokuba, where are we going?" Anzu asked, tired. She was use to running but Kaiba's steps and hallways were not small. They were long and walking down one seemed like a mile long. Mokuba suddenly stopped and then looked over at Anzu. Upon realizing that he stopped, Anzu halted, nearly crashing into him. The boy turned his innocent eyes up as Anzu caught her breath.

"My room, I have to still do homework, maybe we should use the elevator?" He suggested. The girl nodded furiously, not wishing to climb a hundred more steps or run down any more mile long hallways. Mokuba then turned right into a small space with a door. Pressing a button the door opened and he stepped in the elevator with Anzu. He pressed the number four and waited. The elevator rose and with a soft ding, then opened. The two stepped out into another long corridor. On one side, there were windows, long, white frame, French style windows. Long, dark blue drapes hung on the side of each of them. Under, the dark blue carpet was white marble floors. Between several of the windows were tables with different décor tees. Some had paintings, or a wall decoration. On the other side were three, large white doors, each closed. Anzu could only wonder what was in each.

Passing by the three doors, the two turned to the left and came to another hallway with only one large door. Mokuba grabbed the handle and turned it open. Anzu obviously assumed this was Mokuba's room. She found the room pleasant. Surprisingly, the room was well kept. She figured a house cleaner probably cleaned it. Set on the bed was Mokuba's backpack. He began pulling out his books and set it down on the floor. Anzu joined him and together the two went to work.

The time flew by that when they were finished it was already dark. Anzu got up and stretched her arms. "Do understand how to do fractions now?" she asked with a smile. Mokuba nodded furiously and thanked her with a big hug. He could not wait until Monday and show his teacher up. Anzu walked over to his window and could see a limousine pulling up in the distance.

"I guess your brother is home now." She pointed out the window. Mokuba jumped up from his spot and opened the door. A cool breeze hit them both, sending the girl shivering. Mokuba peered over the balcony banister.

"Yep, that's him!" the boy agreed. "Come on!" Mokuba dashed out of the room. Sighing Anzu followed him back to the elevator to take them downstairs. When the door opened, they walked out and went down a hallway and through another pairs of doors. This led to the living like room Anzu had been sitting in earlier. They crossed the room, went through the doors on the other side, and then walked back into the main hall. A second later Seto walked in, blue trench coat swishing behind him and briefcase in hand. The moment he stepped inside, he looked over at Mokuba and Anzu. His eyes went cold like ice as he stared at the cerulean-eyed girl. Then he turned to Mokuba with a lighter but still stern look in his eyes.

"Hello Mokuba," he greeted, ignoring Anzu. The young boy smiled and greeted his big brother with a cheerful smile. Seto looked around to see if anything was out of place. Once satisfied he turned to Mokuba and said, "Go up to your room, I shall be there shortly." Nodding curtly the boy ran off without questioning. He then turned to Anzu and said, "Come with me."

His voice sounded tough and no nonsense. She began to think the worse. Would he fire her? What could she possibly do to provoke him into firing her? She followed him up the stairs and down in the long hallway.

After a moment, they came to two large white doors. The knobs were gold color, the design on the door had what seemed to be blue eyes white dragons with the initials S.K. Seto opened the door, and the two came to an office. Under plush light blue carpeting were hard wood floors. The walls to the left and the right had cherry wood bookshelves pressed up against them, completely filled with books. However, Anzu could see that the walls were white and the room was now lit from a large ceiling fan above them. Across from her was a desk, with several papers, neatly organized, a desk lamp, and a closed laptop. A black leather chair sat behind the desk. Behind the chair, were two large French doors that led to the balcony.

Anzu held her breath as Seto placed his briefcase down. He sat in his chair and before speaking to her jotted something in a planner. Then he looked up at her. His eyes showed no expression.

"First day on the job and I'm mildly impress that this house isn't burnt to the ground." He said coldly.

Anzu would have retorted but she thought better of it. She wanted to keep this job. Brushing it off, she gave Seto a small smile. He continued.

"Anyway I will be requiring your assistance tomorrow night. I am having an important dinner party with several important people. Mokuba will be attending and I will not be able to keep an eye on him so I require you to come. This is an important so I expect you to wear clothing suitable for the occasion. The limo will be at your house at seven-thirty"

He looked at her in disgust. She was in her school clothes. From all the running and fun she had with Mokuba, she looked quite unkempt. None the less she still looked better then some people. Once again, she kept her comments to herself. She knew Seto Kaiba would not treat her any different. Yet she had to tolerate it.

"You are dismissed," he said waving her off, "The limo is waiting."

Nodding, Anzu left without another word. She made her way down the hall and back to the main entrance hall. Her shoes, coat, and bag were there waiting for her. As she began to put on her shoes, she remembered the promise she made to Mokuba. However, she did not want to annoy Kaiba so she decided to ask tomorrow. Overall, it was not a bad first day.

_Wonder what I should wear._

Mokuba sat in his room playing video games when Seto walked in, softly knocking as he went. Mokuba paused his game and hopped off his bed. Seto looked at his schoolbooks still on the ground in a mess.

"Have you done you homework? Did you eat anything?" The interrogation began. He wanted to see what kind of a job Anzu did. Mokuba showed him the work and to Seto's surprise, the problems were properly done. Seto placed the papers down and looked at Mokuba who was grinning sheepishly. Seto explained about the dinner party and then said goodnight to his little brother. Mokuba frowned as his brother left and went back to his game.

The next day, after telling Yugi she was too busy to go out and get ice cream, Anzu rummaged through her closet for something to wear. She threw out item after item, desperately looking for something to measure up to Seto's standards. The last thing she need was Seto making fun out of her, again. Finally fishing out two dresses, she laid them out on the bed. The first one was a cerulean blue that matched her eyes. It was an off the shoulder, long sleeved dress. On her, it would hug her curvy body while it came down to just above her knees in the front, while the side and back swooped down lower. The second dress however was black with long sleeves and turtleneck. It would come down to her thighs but hugging her body like the other one.

For a moment, she pondered on which dress to wear. She began to pick the black one thinking about being conservative when there was a knock on the door. Wondering whom it could be she opened it and saw no one.

"Hey, Anzu,"

Anzu looked down and saw Mokuba. At first, she was surprised to see him but realized her mother must have let him in. She allowed him inside her room.

"Am I late?" Anzu asked.

"No, I decided to come early so we can talk." The boy said glancing around her room. His eyes fell on the dresses. "Are you going to wear this one?" He held up the blue one. "I think it's beautiful." He held it up to her and then tried to imagine her in it. Then he placed it down. Anzu took the dress and decided to wear it. It seemed like a better idea.

"What did you want to talk about?" she asked sensing his uneasiness.

"How come you didn't talk to Seto?" he asked cutting it short.

Anzu sighed. She sat down on the bed, holding the dress. Looking at the boy, she told him the truth.

"Tonight after the party I promise to talk to him." Mokuba looked suspiciously at her. Anzu held out her pinky finger, "Pinky swear." Mokuba hooked his small finger to hers and they agreed on it. The older girl gave him a gentle, warm, smile. She then took the dress that Mokuba picked out and held it up against her. Glancing at herself in the full-length mirror, she admired the dress. It was beautiful. Her mother had picked it out for her for fancy dinners or such.

"I guess I'll go change." She headed out the room leaving Mokuba to himself. Once alone, Mokuba looked around the cozy room. It had posters of singers and dancers on the wall. She had a desk for doing homework near the window, a bed for sleeping against the wall. The floor was hardwood and had a white rug on it. Stuffed animals decorated the area around Anzu's pillow. Minutes later the girl returned. The young boy stared. Anzu did not look beautiful at all. She looked **gorgeous**! The dress fit her perfectly.

She did a quick twirl in front of the mirror and asked Mokuba how she looked. Honestly, he told her what he thought. Smiling, she took the brush from her desk and began to undo the tangles in her hair. Finishing that she placed a silver barrette in her hair, pinning back some of her hair. Next, she placed a touch of make up on her face, accenting her beautiful features. Done with her make up, she walked around the room. Mokuba watching her lazily. Anzu fished out a pair of black high-heeled shoes and placed them on. The way the shoes looked on her made her slender legs look much longer.

"I better take a jacket." Anzu said taking one from her closet. It was a warm and it was a dark blue color and came down to her waist. She looked over at Mokuba and smiled. "I'm ready to go." Mokuba hopped off the bed and together the two left the room.

"I guess you're my date for the night." Anzu joked.

"Well I get the coolest person at the party, next to my brother but he's not a girl so that don't count, as my date." The boy grinned sheepishly. Anzu ruffled his hair and then the two headed out to the waiting limousine.

At the Kaiba mansion, Seto was dressed in suit, looking quite professional. His hair was kept the same way, as usual, and his eyes were the same cold stare. Nearly all the guests arrived already but Seto did not care for them right now. Looking at his watch, he began to pace wanting to know where his little brother and his nanny were. It was irritating waiting for them, knowing business deals were still floating in the air. Just then, the front door opened. Mokuba appeared.

"Where have you been?" Kaiba demanded. "I was with Anzu. She'll be here in a minute," Came the younger brother's reply. Seto however could care less. Now that Mokuba was back, he proceeded into the dining hall where the guests were. Once inside he began to mingle, not something he liked to do. Yet it had to be done. The guests seemed pleasant, enjoying themselves, and eating the appetizers and drinking the expensive champagne. Music was playing and some people liked the soft soothing sound. As Seto was observing the area, someone tapped his shoulder. Looking behind him, he saw an older looking man.

"Kaido," Kaiba said addressing him. Yet it was not a friendly greeting.

"Ah, Seto Kaiba a nice party you have here, fine furnishings indeed. I must say this party is wonderful." Kei Kaido was an older man, in his late thirties. He was taller then Seto but not at all as intimidating as Kaiba looked. His hair was jet black and eyes were brown. He wore a dark black suit and had his emblem pinned to his jacket. Seto hated small talk. He also did not like Kaido. Seto had been competing with that company for months and has been trying to force them into bankruptcy or what not. Yet, it seemed that Kaido knew how to play chess too but Seto would see to it that he would get the checkmate. Inviting him to the mansion was not something he really wanted but then again people did many things they did not like to get what they wanted. Seto was no different.

"Now who is that lovely young lady," Kaido said astonished. Seto snapped from his thoughts and noticed several of his guests were looking over at someone. Curious, Seto moved through the crowed to see whom they were staring at. Shockingly, Kaiba opened his mouth in a gasp. Standing with Mokuba near a food table, Anzu was talking to the younger Kaiba. The looks people gave her went unnoticed to her as she spoke solely to Mokuba.

The lighting from the chandelier above them seemed to make Anzu's creamy skin glow angelically. The dress hugged her curves nicely while showing off her legs. Seto was rather shocked to see her dressed like this. Normally he would see her in her school uniform. Unlike everyone else, who was who were wearing black, grey, or white Anzu was the only one wearing blue.

"Who is she Kaiba?" Kaido pried.

Ignoring him, Seto marched forward, pushing pass people and headed toward her. Once at her side, Anzu's attention fell on the older Kaiba brother.

"Yes, is there anything you need, Mr. Kaiba?" Anzu said courtly. Mokuba snorted out a laugh. Kaiba stared at her, unsure what to say to her. He had been worried she would embarrass him by looking poor. He never expected her to look like she stepped out of a fashion magazine. Just then, someone else entered the circle. It was Kaido again. He held out his hand to Anzu.

"You my dear are a treasure among woman, your name?" he asked, making both Kaiba brothers gag. Anzu placed her hand into his and he gently brushed his lips across her knuckles.

"My name is..." However, Kaiba cut her off, pushing between them. Seto stared at Kaido, warning him to back off. Then turning to Anzu, he grabbed her by the elbow and Mokuba as well. He dragged them through a door, leaving the Kaiba security to watch the party guests. Kaiba dragged both brother and nanny into an empty hallway. Before Anzu could get a word, Kaiba snapped at her.

"Do not talk to that man under **ANY **circumstances, Masaki. I told you to come here to watch Mokuba in something suitable."

"This dress is suitable and why did you invite that man then?" The girl asked for her and Mokuba.

"This party is by no means a friendly get together. It is a way for me to outdo my competition. Find their weakness. In a company, there is always a weak link. Once it is found the whole company will go to its knees. It just takes time to find it. You, even though have no access to any thing in Kaiba corp. are still very much a threat."

Kaiba then eyed Mokuba. He gestured him to leave. Sighing, Mokuba headed to his room, leaving his nanny. However, before he left he held up his pinky to Anzu. She got the message and gave him a slight nod. The boy disappeared behind a corner.

"_How_ am I a threat?" Anzu asked crossing her arms.

Kaiba snorted. "You are thick Masaki. You are very well a weak link in my company. Not you personally and the reason why no one must know about your employment is that you are watching **_MY _**brother. Many have tried to use my brother against me. I will not allow you bring harm to my brother!"

Anzu swallowed hard feeling a lump growing in the back of her throat. That made sense. Kaiba was protective of his younger brother. Mokuba also owned part of Kaiba Corp. If anything were to happen to Seto, then Mokuba who would own it. After a long silence, Kaiba broke it.

"You can leave now." He said shortly. He then went to go back to the party. Anzu however knew of the promise she made and this time she would keep it. Finding the courage and the right words Anzu spoke out to him.

"Kaiba," she said. "I need to talk to you about something important."

"Whatever it is can wait." He shrugged her off.

Angered she fired back, "**No**! It cannot wait at all. I want to speak to you about Mokuba."

This got his attention even though it annoyed him.

"Tomorrow, you will not be busy correct? I wanted to let you know Mokuba has been feeling lonely lately and would like to spend some time with you."

"What is this some joke?" Kaiba growled. "If Mokuba needed me he would have told me. Not someone else let alone his _nanny_."

Ignoring his comment Anzu continued. Her eyes full of determination. "You may not believe me, but Mokuba misses **YOU**! You are so busy that you hardly ever get a chance to be with him. Please for his sake, talk to him."

Kaiba stared at her for a moment. The hallway was silent. The two stared at one another then finally Kaiba turned and walked away, going back to his party.

**X, X, X,**

**Author note- This is the end of chapter four. Will Seto listen to Anzu or will his arrogant nature turn him from the truth? Find out in the next chapter. I wrote this chapter, however, with only two and a half hours of sleep. So if its not up to par, sorry.**

**Thanks to…**

**Amazoness Archer-** Do not worry, the Seto Anzu moments will be coming. I promise. Thanks for the review.

**Nightfall2525-** I was not exactly sure what you said, but Anzu did talk to Kaiba but if he listens… that has yet to be determined. Thanks for the review.

**Stephanie-** Thanks, I have to form a way to get Seto and Anzu together without just making it sudden, little snippets h. Thanks for the review.

**Guari-** Glad you like it. Thanks for the review.

**Drkmagiciangrl25-** I hope this update is soon enough. Thanks for the review.

**John Cena's Basketball Star-** No problem with the spelling errors, I make them all the time. Thanks for the compliments. Thanks for the review.

**Mandybelle-** Glad you liked the house. I based it on colors that Kaiba wears and stuff that would look like he designed it.

**Starian Princess-** Seto will be Seto. It is like in all the stories (or most) with Seto/Anzu relationship. Seto is a jerk but I am going to try to tweak mine in a different way. Thanks for the review.

**LuvinAniManga-** I hope this is a quick update. Thanks for the review.

**Living Arrow-** There is going to be more too it. I want to get more in depth with the Kaiba brothers while developing a relationship between them and Anzu. Thanks for the review.


	5. Too busy for me

**Melting the Ice**

**Chapter 5- Too busy for me**

Anzu watched as Seto marched back to his party. She could hear his footsteps becoming softer and softer. Then finally, he disappeared behind the door to the dining hall where the party was. She turned her head slightly toward the floor, staring at the plush blue carpet beneath her feet. Rubbing her arms, she felt sad. She did not know what to do now. She promised Mokuba but it seemed she failed in her attempt. The last thing she wanted was to tell the boy her brother brushed her off and to see the painful look in his eyes. It made her heart go out to the poor boy. He was so sweet and innocent but neglected. Tilting her head up, she let out a sad sigh. As she was about to leave, Anzu noticed something out of the corner of her eye. It was a tiny hand, peeking from the corner.

"Mokuba, were you listening in?" Anzu inquired softly, approaching the boy. Turning around the corner, she saw the longhaired boy sitting against the wall. One hand was lying on the floor while the other wrapped around his legs. His head was down, chin lying on top of his knees. Crouching down to his level, Anzu placed a hand on his shoulder. The young boy brought his sad eyes to hers. Then he hugged her.

"Thanks for trying Anzu," Mokuba smiled weakly. The two got up and Mokuba escorted her to the front door, avoiding the party. After going down several twisty dark hallways they made it back the main hall. Anzu looked down at her dress, touching the soft material. She felt embarrassed for no reason. Perhaps that she stood up to Seto and not being fired was the reason. She then found Mokuba holding her coat that he found in the closet. He knew the other workers were in the dining hall serving and watching the guests closely.

Anzu gingerly took her black coat and placed it on. Gathering her hair she pulled it out and let it fall to her back. She then buttoned it up knowing the frosty night air would be harsh tonight. Feeling the tension in the air, Anzu gave the young boy a cheerful smile. Patting him on the head, he smiled but gave her a mean look as if saying, '_what are you doing_?'

"I had a nice time Mokuba," Anzu lied through her teeth. "I'll see you on Monday since I assume your brother will not need met tomorrow."

Mokuba shrugged. "If he needs you he'll call." Mokuba did not sound if he cared. Kindly, he opened the door for Anzu and peered out. The limousine was parked and waiting for her. Anzu scurried over to the waiting limousine, feeling thecold wind hit her. Once inside she sat back and relaxed. The driver then began to take her home.

After the party, Seto watched as his workers were cleaning the hall up to it usual spotless nature. The night had gone down smoothly as he hoped, except for the small incident. He finished closing deals with other companies, expanding his own now. Not to mention he found good information on his competition since some of them could not keep from drinking. Seto could have cared less. He was on top and soon enough he would crush more of the competition.

Yet, despite the victories, something kept nagging him in the back of his mind. It was not his voice speaking to him. It sounded more like Anzu Masaki's voice. Her voice was telling him that Mokuba was unhappy. How could he be unhappy? Mokuba could have anything he wanted and more. Trying to push her nagging voice aside, he went to go about his business. He went to his office wanting to finish some work before he needed to sleep.

He entered his office, flicking on the light switch. He scanned the room briefly, looking from bookcase to bookcase. Once at his desk he opened his laptop and typed in the password. Done with that, he began to work when the voice began to nag him again. He tried to drown it with his work but it continued to bother him until finally he had it. Turning off his laptop computer, he marched out his room toward his brothers. Once there he saw the door opened. Peering inside he could see Mokuba playing video games. He was jumping up and down moving around his bed as if his movements went along with the game.

Seto could not help but smile at his innocence. Slowly he walked in, hoping not to disturb his brother right away. The television screen flashed brightly and Mokuba went screaming with excitement. The speakers boomed with large explosions. Just then, Seto watched as his little brother began to dance around saying, "I WON", "I ROCK", and "OH YEAH" repeatedly. When his excitement died down Seto cleared his throat. The younger brother dropped his controller and looked up at his brother with a grin.

"Hi, Seto," Mokuba chirped. "Are you leaving?" Seto shook his head. He then placed a hand on his brother's head and ruffled his hair.

"I was just going to say good night." Seto said, turning to leave. However, before he could go he looked to see Mokuba heading back to his game. The voice in his head was nagging him. Sighing, he decided to get it over with.

"Mokuba, tomorrow I won't be working." Seto said. "How about you and I go somewhere…"

The younger brother turned around, his eyes wide. His large eyes looked hopeful and happy. Nodding furiously he agreed to go, looking more and more excited. Seto gave a small smile and then left the room. Once he was gone, Mokuba began dancing around his room. He jumped up on his bed and began bouncing up and down. Finally, out of breath he landed on his behind and sighed. He fell flat on his back on his bed and smiled.

_I have to thank Anzu_, he thought happily.

After arriving to her home, Anzu stripped out of her dress. She took out her pajamas from her top drawer and changed into them. They were soft pink pajamas. The material was thin and had little hearts on the ends. It was long pair pants and a button up shirt. The buttons on the shirt were little hearts as well. Once finished dressing Anzu went into the bathroom and washed the makeup from her face. Once free of her make up she took a brush and undid the tangles the wind made in her hair. It took several times with the brush going through to get it flawlessly smooth and free of tangles. Placing her brush down on the ceramic counter surrounding the sink, she picked up her sky blue toothbrush. Placing some toothpaste on it, she began to brush her teeth. After rinsing, she wiped her mouth and headed to her room.

Once in her room, she flopped down on her bed and sighed. Tonight, indeed, was an interesting night. She giggled at the thought of when everyone saw her. The never would have guessed she was not rich. She certainly made an impression on everyone and perhaps even surprised Seto Kaiba. She looked at the clock and noticed how late it was. She was lucky she would be able to sleep in. Turning off her lamp, she snuggled into the warm folds of her blanket and let out a soft sigh. Closing her cerulean orbs, she figured she should hang out with Yugi tomorrow. He had been asking her to come and hang out with Jonouchi and Honda. That was a good idea.

Mokuba awoke early the next morning, too excited to sleep. He went into his bathroom, which connected into his room. The bathroom had light blue walls, white tile floor and counter. A large bathtub looked as if it could fit five people in it, sat in the corner. Next to the bathtub was a shower with mosaic like glass sliding door and walls. Several puffy white towels hung over the side railing. The room was lit with a several large light bulbs on top of the mirror cabinet. Mokuba turned on the water and let it run for a few seconds, trying to find a cool temperature. After, he splashed the water on his face and took some soap in hand. He washed and scrubbed his face clean. Next, he grabbed a comb and undid the tangles. Finally done he bounced out of the room and threw off his pajamas. Throwing most of his clothes out of his drawer, he found an outfit he wanted to wear. He placed on long sleeved white shirt and a yellow sleeveless jacket. He pulled on a pair of faded blue jeans and white socks with a single red stripe on it.

Finally done, he pulled out his necklace from under his shirt. Attached to the chain is a small locket in the shape of a duel monsters card. He fingered it carefully and then flipped it open. Inside was a picture of his older brother when he was much younger. On his face was a small smile, something that felt foreign. When Seto smiled, it was rare, unless he was smirking. Closing the locket, he tucked it back in shirt. He could not wait for today's fun to begin. Hurrying out his room he ran into the kitchen, hoping the cook was there.

Once inside he saw a elderly looking woman at the stove flipping pancakes in her pan. Mokuba took a whiff of the sweet smelling pancakes. Chocolate chip pancakes sounded like a great way to start the day. The kitchen was large with several stoves, counters, a large refrigerator freezer, and cabinets. Some people probably mistake it as a kitchen in a restaurant at first glance. The floors were white tile, the counters cherry wood with white counter tops. The old woman at the stove was wearing a long black dress and a apron. She had on flat, worn black shoes, and had her grey hair in a bun. She wore black rimmed glasses over her aging grey blue eyes.

"Hello, young Mr. Kaiba," her voice was gentle yet frail. She flipped a finished pancake onto a plate stacked with at least six or seven. She then poured the batter in the pan and let it spread.

"Hello, Miss Mistsuki." Mokuba said politely. He pushed a chair to the counter and stood up on it. He saw the pile of pancakes and took a bigger whiff. "It smells delicious." The old woman smiled and placed the finish pancake on the pile. She then poured the rest of the batter into the hot pan, making the last and largest pancake. Once finished she placed it on the pile and went into the refrigerator to get a pitcher of orange juice. She poured Mokuba a large glass, and placed it on a tray with a fork and knife. She placed the plate of pancakes on it and then some cinnamon toast.

"I shall bring it out for you," she said sweetly. "Then I must make your brother's breakfast. I believe he would like eggs, bacon, and some toast. Although, I must admit it is not healthy for him to have that." Mokuba grinned and watched as she picked up the tray. He held open the kitchen door for her as she carried the tray out into the dining hall. The room was spotless and shining as if a party never even happened. The long dinging table was made of a dark color wood. A vase was in the center filled with fresh flowers. One chair was placed in the center of each end. Mokuba sat on the left side of the table, as Miss Mistsuki placed the tray down for him to begin eating. She then hurried back to the kitchen to make Seto his breakfast.

The moment Seto appeared at the dining room hall was the same time Miss Mistsuki came out with his breakfast tray. Seto was dressed in a dark blue, button up, shirt. The button around the collar was undone, making him look cool. He wore dark black pants and his usual dark blue trench coat. His shoes were black as well. He sat down on the right side of the table, across from Mokuba. He waited for a second and a tray was placed in front of him. Two sunny side eggs, two slices of toast, and some strips of bacon covered the plate. On the left side were to cups. Once filled with juice the other filled with coffee. On the right side was some fruit. Seto picked up his fork and began to eat. When the cook finally went back into the kitchen, Seto spoke.

"After breakfast, we'll be leaving." Seto said. Mokuba swallowed the food in his mouth and nodded.

"Where are we going?" he asked with a hint of excitement.

Seto bit into the toast. He chewed and swallowed it before replying to Mokuba. His little brother drank some of his fresh orange juice, but his eyes locked on his brother.

"Where ever you want." Seto said, returning to his meal. Mokuba smiled and ate a large piece of chocolate chip pancakes. He could not wait for the day to begin.

Anzu awoke with the sun drifting through her blinds and shining into her eyes. She smiled, lifting her body from the bed and stretching. It was a beautiful morning. Getting out of bed, she could hear her stomach rumbling for food, to which she could not deny. She strolled downstairs, her feet sliding across the floor. No one was home, since her parents worked. The kitchen was small yet tidy. There was a small dining table near a window with three chairs. The kitchen had a stove, in-between two counters, and next to that a white refrigerator. Cabinets hung above the counter, holding glasses and plates.

Anzu was hungry for some waffles. She looked around her freezer for some waffles she could heat up and eat. Finally finding some in the back, she fished them out and went to heat them up. "I better call Yugi," she muttered. "Tell him I can go for the milk shake."

Seto Kaiba and Mokuba were seated in the back seat of the limousine; neither was really speaking to one another. Seto, however, was on his cell phone speaking to someone. Mokuba slumped to the side and stared out the tinted windows. So far, the ride was boring. Mokuba suggested that they went to the arcade to play games. He remembered when Seto loved to play games. Of course, he was one of the best. He had high scores in every game he played that most people could only dream of getting. The arcade they arrived at was highly popular. The name was "Spider Arcade." The front of the building had a giant spider web and a spider on it with the name. Inside it was dark except for the florescent lights hanging ever which way. The room was full of games; one of the most popular was the dancing games and first person shooter.

"Which game should we play first Seto?" Mokuba asked looking up at his big brother. Yet, when he saw Seto, he frowned. His brother was not even paying attention to him. He was still on the phone, looking annoyed at the person he was talking with. Mokuba sighed and tugged on his jacket, getting his brothers attention.

"Can I have some money Seto?" Mokuba asked. Seto dropped some yen in his tiny hand and then went on with his phone call. Mokuba turned his sad eyes at his brother, who turned his back, continuing his phone call. Slumping, Mokuba dragged his feet across the grey color carpet. He looked around, saw the dancing game, Dance Dance Revolution, and thought about playing it. It was fun when he and Anzu had played against each other. Mokuba wished he could get Seto off the phone to play. Looking back at forth at Seto and the game, Mokuba pocketed the money. His face scrunched up as if he was angry and sad at the same time.

_If he does not want to be with me then fine… I'll leave! _Mokuba thought harshly. Then without another thought, he fled from the arcade. Running blindly outside, Mokuba could care less to where he was going.

Anzu sighed as she walked down the sidewalk to Burger World. She was dressed in a white tank top, a pale yellow jacket, and jeans. Hanging over her shoulder was black handbag. Earlier she had called Yugi to meet her at Burger World for that milkshake she promised to get with him and the others. Too bad that is the only thing she could get. With her funds low she was lucky to be going out at all. Dance school was costly, fifty thousand yen a month and she only had very little saved from her previous jobs.

Going down the cement sidewalks, Anzu could see the restaurant in view. Several people were walking about as well but something caught her eye. A young boy was sitting at the window seat at the Burger World who looked oddly familiar.

"Mokuba…" she whispered. At first, she was unsure but as she got closer look, she new it was him. She looked around and saw no limousine, no bodyguards, and above all NO Seto. Quickly she entered the restaurant and headed for his table. She noticed him just sitting there. Taking a deep breath, she called out his name. The boy's head snapped up. His large eyes turned to her, tears threatening to fall.

"What are you doing here?" she questioned. "Where is your brother? Did you run away?" Before she could continue with the hundred questions, Mokuba let out a sob.

"Seto and I were suppose to hang out today." He hiccupped.

"That's great!" Anzu interrupted happily.

"**NO**! He did not want to hang out with me. All he did was talk on his **stupid **cell phone and gave me money to play games by myself. Thanks for trying Anzu but nothing is going to change. Seto just doesn't care for me anymore."

Anzu gaped. Seto **NOT** care for Mokuba. That was absurd. Seto cared so much for Mokuba that he would risk his own life to save him. Yet, lately Anzu could see what Mokuba was saying. It looked as though the relationship was deteriorating.

"Mokuba," she said gently. "Your brother really cares for you. He's just busy running his company…"

"SO," Mokuba snapped. "What am I suppose to do? Sit around all alone in my mansion. People think I am lucky but they all have families and someone to love them. All I have is Seto and he would be happy if I was gone."

"Mokuba…"

"**Forget it**!" The young boy jumped out of his seat and ran blindly out the door. Anzu got up and ran after him. When she got to the door, he was gone. Frantically, she called out his name looking up and down both ways seeing if maybe he ducked into another store. Anzu pulled out her cell phone. She had to call Seto.

_Oh, darn it, what was his number? _She thought as her cell phone turned on.

"Hey Anzu," Anzu blinked and looked up at who called her name. She then noticed Yugi, Jonouchi, and Honda marching up the sidewalk toward her. Yugi had a big smile on his face, his wild hair spiked up at usual, and his millennium item swinging as he walked. He was wearing his belts, a black shirt and jeans. Around him was his dark blue jacket. Jonouchi was wearing jeans a white shirt, and dog tags necklace around his neck. His green jacket was open. Honda was wearing dark brown pants and tan dress shirt, and his khaki color trench coat. He and Jonouchi were chatting before Yugi had spotted Anzu.

"Glad you could make it." Yugi said cheerfully, his cheeks a soft shade of pink. Yet his face fell when he noticed the panic look on Anzu's face.

"What's wrong?" Jonouchi spoke up.

"Sorry guys, I have to go." She babbled. "It's an emergency, call you later." With that, she dashed off down the street leaving the three boys puzzled.

**X, X, X,**

**Author Note**- Oh, Mokuba ran off and now what? Will Anzu be able to find Seto so the two can find Mokuba? The search for Mokuba is on in the next chapter… and perhaps some secretes are found out too. Anyway, sorry this chapter took longer to get out some things came up. If I can, I will try to get the next chapter up early. If something comes up look for it to be up this coming Monday or Tuesday.

As always thanks to the following…

**Mystic Darkness**- Glad you think so. Thanks for the review.

**Living Arrow- **Glad, you thought that. I was so tired writing the last chapter. Thanks for the review.

**Amazoness Archer**- I saw the dresses on a website and I was like, hey, Anzu would look pretty in that. I wish I had one like it too. Oh, if you liked Seto and Anzu talking wait for the next chapter. Thanks for the review.

**Mandybelle- **Glad you liked the description. I try to add better descriptions to places that will probably show up often in the story. Notably the Kaiba mansion is the most important one. Thanks for the review.

**Gauri- **Glad you like it and here is the update.Thanks for the review.

**Girlmagic**- Please, do not hurt me. I updated see! Thanks for the review.

**Lady-Azura- **Updated, Thanks for the review.

**Princess of Thieves- **Kaiba is stubborn, he hates listening to other people. That is how it is in most stories about him and Anzu. It is so him thought. Thanks for the review.

**WinkBack2Me- **Yeah, I wanted people to see what I thought the Kaiba mansion looked like so I added as much detail as I could without getting to long about it. Thanks fro the review.

**John Cena's Basketball- **Short review, long review, its all good. Thanks fro the review.

**ShadowFax99- **Cliché is awesome. Then again most of the best stories and movies are cliché right? I might try to tweak it a bit to not make it too cliché. I do not have writer's block since I wrote down what I wanted in each chapter. The only enemy is time. Thanks fro the review.

**Inuyasha-xcgirl- **A first time reader, cool, I like getting reviews from different people and to see what they think, helps me write. Thanks fro the review.

**Phantom of Blood- **Yeah some chapters might be longer or shorter then others but that's they way the ball bounces… I think. Thanks fro the review.


	6. Where could he be?

**Melting the Ice**

**Chapter 6**

**Where could he be? **

_Where are you Kaiba?_ Anzu thought desperately running down the sidewalks.

She had no idea where she was going. She could not even think where Seto was. All she knew was Mokuba ran off alone. The thought of him alone and the possibility of being hurt, scared her. Yet, anger filled her. If she saw Seto Kaiba, she was liable to slap him in the face for treating his brother so bad.

_Think Anzu, think, now where did Mokuba go with Seto. He said something. Let me think, whatdid hesay… Seto was on his cell phone… money for games, GAMES. That's it, Mokuba had to have been at an arcade. The only thing is which one. There are tons of arcades. Let me think which oneis the closest to Burger world?_

Anzu pondered for a moment. She closed her eyes, racking her brain for the answer. She went down her mental list of arcades she had been to. After crossing them off one by one, she came to the one nearest to this place. Punching her fist into her palm, she knew exactly where Seto would be, that unless he realized Mokuba had disappeared. Dashing down the streets as fast as she could, Anzu dodged the other pedestrians. Above her, the clouds were darkening fast. A storm was approaching. The wind began to pick up and it only meant the rain would be fierce.

Finally arriving at the game center, Anzu went through the door and scanned the area. Walking a few steps in, she spotted Kaiba **STILL** on the phone. Anzu pressed her hand to her face and shook her head. She could not believe this. She wanted to slap him but thought better of it.

_Remember he is **YOUR** boss. Remember you need the money. _

Upon approaching him, she tapped him on the shoulder. Seto turned slightly to see who was bothering him and went back to his conversation until he realized it was Anzu. He turned around, a glare in his eyes. Saying he would call back to whomever he was talking to, he hung up his cell phone.

"What do you want Masaki?" he snapped. "I'm too busy to deal with YOU today."

Anzu bit her lip to keep her from snapping back at him. She would have loved to chew him right now but now was not the time. Mokuba was missing and it seemed that he did not even notice. She decided to then make him feel stupid instead.

"I was wondering, how is Mokuba?" she asked crossing her arms.

Seto snorted eloquently. "He's fine."

"Where is he I want to talk to him?"

"He's playing some game."

"If he's playing a game then how come he was at Burger World a few minutes ago?"

She tapped her foot. Seto looked at her confusingly. He then turned around to look for his little brother but saw no trace of him. Then without warning, Seto shackled Anzu's wrist and dragged into a corner of the arcade. He threw her against the wall his eyes dangerous. Anzu landed with a thump and looked up at him. His eyes were ice and they were sending chills down Anzu's spine.

"Where is Mokuba?" he demanded. "TELL ME!"

Anzu gasped at the sudden harshness. She now thought better of trying to make Seto Kaiba feel stupid for it was only causing her problems.

"He ran away!" Anzu gasped. "He ran away because of you! Mokuba is lonely and you are ignoring him. I saw him at Burger World and when I tried to talk to him, he ran off upset. He was fast so I do not know where he is now. I came to find you since you could probably find him. Look a storm is coming. If Mokuba is caught in it, he could get sick or hurt!"

Suddenly, Seto stalked off heading for the doors. Anzu hastily followed him. A limousine was already parked in front. As the door opened, raindrops began to start falling. Anzu followed him inside, to Seto's dislike. Anzu shut the door and glared back at him. There was no room for arguing. They would have to settle any dispute later right now it was time to find Mokuba.

"We'll start by the streets near the restaurant," Kaiba said to the driver. He then got on his phone and began telling his security team to look for his little brother. Anzu peered out through the tinted windows trying to spot anyone out in the heavy rain. She could hardly see anything. She was worried Mokuba was somewhere alone, cold, and maybe scared. Suddenly there was a loud boom! Anzu screamed and fell onto the floor of the limousine. When it was over, the cerulean-eyed girl looked up to see Seto unmoved.

"Are you afraid of a silly storm Masaki?" he snorted out a laugh.

"Stop picking on me!" Anzu glared at him. "You should be more worried about Mokuba! How could you just ignore him? He loves you and you act as if he is not important. You are horrible!"

His cold eyes pierced through her like a knife. Anzu winced. It is not a good idea bad mouthing the boss. She could have slapped herself for saying such words. Yet the way she was feeling it did not matter. She was angry for him. How could Mokuba have any relation to him?

"You are stupid, Masaki," his cold voice hit her hard. "I care for Mokuba more than any person on this pathetic planet. He is my brother and is worth more than all the fortune, titles, anything."

Anzu bit her lip. "You sure have not been acting like it."

She got up and sat back in the seat. The rain was pounding like golf balls on the roof of the car. It spattered on windows, making it harder to see outside.

"You must be a complete idiot." Seto growled. "Who do you think I do this for? I work hard to succeed for Mokuba's sake. We were stuck in an orphanage. People would have adopted me but I refused to go unless Mokuba went with me. Then my pathetic excuse for a stepfather adopted us because I defeated him in a chess match."

Anzu felt her hands clench. The tension in the air was thick. What could she say to him? It made sense that Seto was only successful because he wanted Mokuba to be happy. He lived in a gorgeous mansion, drove around in fancy cars, and could have anything he wanted.

"Did you notice how unhappy Mokuba is?" she asked sincerely. Seto eyed her as if saying, what you mean by that. Anzu did not want him to take her words wrong. Gathering up the courage, she continued on hoping that she would not find herself kicked out of the limousine the next minute. "He is lonely without you! You are always so busy. I am almost positive the reason Mokuba has been cutting school and getting pour grades is that he wants **_your _**attention. He probably thinks since you don't respond to his positives that you would if he did negative things."

Anzu had her eyes averted from him. She did not want to see the cold look in his eyes. After a full minute, she could hear her heart beating in her ears. Fear was in her. Was she sweating? Would Seto fire her? Carefully she looked up at him. Surprisingly, Seto was not facing her. He was staring out the window. What could he be thinking? The silence was killing her. How could he not say anything? Anzu wanted him to say something. She was uneasy. Suddenly the car jerked to a stop. Anzu supposed they were at a stop light or something. Maybe Mokuba was outside and they had finally found him. She looked out the window but a second later, she heard the door open. She turned to the other side and saw Kaiba stepping out, the driver holding an umbrella for him.

"There is no way we'll find Mokuba with all this rain." He said to no one in particular. "I'll go on foot and look for him, keep searching." Anzu scrambled out after him.

"Let me go too! It'll be better if two us are together especially if Mokuba is hurt or something."

Seto did not respond. He however allowed her to follow. She stood under the umbrella, as the rain beat down on it. Anzu followed the CEO in his brisk pace.

"What about all of Mokuba's favorite places we should start there." Anzu pointed out. Seto stopped short.

"You do know where Mokuba hangs out right?" He had no idea. Seto knew where his school was and that was pretty much it. Mokuba never really ran off so it never occurred to him to care where he stayed. Of course, he also thought that Mokuba had someone watching him, like the Kaiba Corp Security. Staring out in the rain he could not even think of a place Mokuba would go besides the silly arcade. Letting out a sigh, he turned his eyes toward Anzu expecting her to tell him. Realizing this, the brown haired girl shook her head. Anzu thought long and hard of all the places she and Mokuba went to on their first day.

_Let me see, we went to the arcade, a toy store, and an ice cream parlor_. She ticked them off in her head.

"Let's try this ice cream parlor I took him to. He really liked the ice cream so maybe he went there." She suggested. Seto shrugged and extended his arm, motioning her to lead the way. Nodding, she took him around the corner and headed for the parlor near Domino Park. As they walked, the wind began to pick up. The umbrella moved out of the way making Anzu right side hit with water. Instinctively, she took hold of the umbrella. Her hand hovered over Seto's own hand. She tried to tug it so it was over her but Seto refused to relinquish his hold on it.

"Hold it steady then," Anzu complained, holding it firmly.

"Shut up, even if I did, the wind is strong and the rain isn't helping." He snapped.

"Well at least you could be a gentleman and hold it over me more."

"Must you complain?"

"I don't even know why I am arguing with you! I'm looking for Mokuba and since you have absolutely no idea about him you need me." She huffed, and crossed her arms. She looked at her side, angry.

The continued walking when they came to a street corner. They waited for the light to change so they could cross the busy intersection. Anzu nervously began to fidget. It seemed to annoy Seto, for his fist was clutching the umbrella tighter.

"Would you stop that," he asked trying to remain patient.

"What, I'm just standing here."

"You are like Mokuba. You cannot stand or sit still long. At least I can understand Mokuba he is a kid."

"I swear there is no use talking to you. All you do is make fun of me. I am watching your brother AND helping you look for him. At least you could treat me with a little respect, heck why not gratitude."

Seto smirked but Anzu could not hear him from the sound of cars driving past and rain pounding on the umbrella. Finally arriving at the Ice Cream Parlor, Seto told Anzu to stay outside. Sighing, she stood out looking around with the umbrella in hand. A gust of win hit her and she had to use both hands to get the umbrella back in control. Well now, she felt stupid. Not only did Seto say it was not his fault the wind was strong. Slapping her head, she let out a annoying sigh and leaned against the wall. Standing there, she wondered where Mokuba had run off. Glancing inside, Anzu wondered what could be keeping Seto so long. Inside she could see him talking to several people and showing them a picture of Mokuba. She assumed he was interrogating people.

Just then, she noticed a reflection in the window on the side. Backing up she got a better look at it and noticed it looked familiar. Squinting, she tried to make out what it was. Again, Anzu felt stupid. She spun around to see what it was and then gasped.

"MOKUBA!" she shouted out.

Standing across the street under a doorway, eating a ice cream cone, was indeed Mokuba. Upon hearing his name, the boy dropped his chocolate and vanilla swirl cone to the ground. The two stared at each other for a moment then a car passed by. When it was gone, so was Mokuba. Swiftly she turned her head and caught him heading toward the park. In a mad dash, she went after him, dropping the blue umbrella.

Anzu feet slammed into puddles. Her shoes, socks, and jeans were soaked. Not to mention her tank top and jacket would be too. Anzu admitted, while running, Mokuba was fast. Yet, she could not let him get away. If she did, Seto would let her have it. There were a million reasons he could shout at her if she did not catch him. The last thing she wanted was to hear him chew her out again. The younger Kaiba ran across the slippery grass, mud splattering his shoes and pant leg. Never once did he look back to see how close Anzu was, and Anzu's eyes never left the boy running. The young girl could feel her legs burning and her chest heaving for air.

_Cannot stop, _She repeated over.

Anzu searched within her for the strength and energy to keep going. However, it seemed that Mokuba was slowing down or perhaps she was catching up. She did not know which but she knew she would have to stop him now. Taking a leap of faith, she jumped and tackled him to the ground. However, she did not come to a complete stop. The two slid across the sleek grass and strait down a hill. The two tumbled down, water pounding on them and mud splattering everywhere. Finally coming to a stop, Anzu lifted herself up but still keeping Mokuba pinned so he could not escape.

"I need to run more," Anzu choked for air.

Looking down, the rain was pounding even more fiercely. The wind blew chilling cold air against them causing goose bumps to form. Yet through it all, Anzu could see Mokuba, his eyes puffy and red. It was then she knew he had been crying. The tears in his eyes mixed in with the rain but she knew they were there. It tugged on her heartstrings. Picking him up, she hugged him.

"Don't cry," she said softly. "I'm here and everything is going to be okay."

Burying his face into her shoulder, Anzu could feel his warm tears against her cold skin. It almost felt like she was a mother holding her lost child. Anzu could not have been happier then to find this little boy. A boy who was lost and she would help find.

"Let's get you back," she said picking him up in her arms, "Before you catch phenomena."

**X, X, X,**

**Author note-** That is it for chapter six and Anzu found Mokuba. What is Seto going to do when Anzu comes back with Mokuba? Well you will have to wait for chapter seven and find out!

**A side note-** I was looking through my notes on this story and I noticed some chapters were not important enough to be there own chapter so I decided to combine some chapters together. **Do not get me wrong** there not going to be any longer. The idea I had for chapter 7 was not long enough to make a good chapter and would be pointless to write so I am combining it with chapter 8 to make one chapter (The future chapter 7). As an author there a times we just have to go back and edit things and cut things out. Chapter 7 and 8 will be one of them. Oh and if your not doing anything leave a review. I love them.

As always thanks to the following,

**John Cena's Basketball-** Yeah I would yell at Seto too. Mokuba is just so cute. Thanks for the review.

**Mischiefmagnet-** Maybe I should have Seto play DDR sometime. That would be so… out of character for him. I imagine Seto as caring yet very dignified and full of pride.

**I'm Yam the Ham-** Yeah really, Anzu should backhand him. To bad, she works for him. I don't think Anzu would keep her job much longer if she did though. Thanks for the review.

**Nightfall2525- **Well I do not think Seto likes her all too much now. This is going to happen gradually. Thanks for the review.

**Inuyasha-xcgirl- **Questions have been answered but the most important question is still to be answered. When is Seto going to be with Anzu? I know when but I cannot tell. Thanks for the review.

**HieiJahanshi11- **Little Mokie was just hiding, most likely to cool off. He probably had other motives too which will be revealed soon. Thanks for the review.

**xxxSethKisaraxxx- **Glad you like it. Thanks for the review.

**Amazoness Archer- **A lot of times I am looking at magazines, I see awesome outfits, and I think, "Man Anzu would look pretty in that." I love looking at outfits to see what would look cool because many times I think anime characters dress in ugly clothes. Oh well, what can I do? Anyway, the Anzu and Seto thing is going to happen gradually so it is coming. Thanks for the review.

**Lady-Azura- **Yeah Mokuba is a victim in this story. I have to make it up to him. Thanks for the review.

**KaibaYamiLover**- Thanks, I hope you like this chapter too. Thanks for the review.

**Stephanie- **It was Anzu; I think it was more appropriate in a way for her to find him instead of Seto. It shows Anzu and Mokuba having a growing bond between them, which will show up in future chapters.

**Mokuba's Official Glomper- **I adore the little person too. Thanks for the review.

**Gauri-** Took me until today (Monday) to finish this chapter. Thanks for the review.

**Princess of Thieves- **Yeah you kind of think he would have stayed with Anzu, oh well she found him. Thanks for the review.

**Deadlybeautygoddess- **That was an interesting coincidence that we had the same name as a secretary. Thanks for the review.

**Anissa- **I like Anzu better then Tea… personally I like all the Japanese names better than dubbed ones.

**Dannyp.kaiba- **Well Anzu found Mokuba and Seto is somewhere… Thanks for the review.

**LuvinAniManga- **Mokuba's will have a lot of explaining to do.Thanks for the review.


	7. Caring

**Disclaimer- I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh**

**Melting the Ice**

**Chapter 7- Caring**

Mokuba clung to Anzu as she made her way up the slippery hill. Anzu felt twinge of pain in her ankle but ignored it. She had to get out of the cold and rain. Right now, she could feel Mokuba shivering. Not to mention her body was begging for warmth. She wobbled, her legs felt like jelly. Right now, she wished she had told Seto she spotted Mokuba. His fancy limousine would be waiting for them and with blankets and the heater on at full blast. She smirked sadly at the thought yet thinking about the warmth made her feel somewhat better. The rain beat down on them and the wind only made it worse. Anzu's hair clung to her face and neck. She squinted, trying to keep water from splashing into her eyes. Mokuba sniffled and buried his face into Anzu's wet shoulder. She patted him gently and finished the climb up the grassy hill.

Glancing around, she tried to remember which way she came in. How far did she run? Then again, it took all her energy to catch the poor boy. Turning to the right she decided on taking that path back. She hoped her decision was right. Yet she was tired. The rain felt like it was putting so much weight on her. Mokuba seemed heavy too like she was going to drop him. Numb, her arms were numb with cold. Her ankle began to throb worse then before. Too much weight, she was carrying to much weight. Yet the park exit was in sight. It was so close she could feel it. Seto Kaiba would be waiting and then he could take them home. In that, fancy limousine.

The moment Anzu reached the entrance, her face fell. It was the wrong side. She should have gone left. Clutching Mokuba tightly, Anzu felt as though she might cry. That is until she noticed the sound of rain pattering above her but not hitting her. Looking up she saw a blue umbrella hovering over her. She turned back to see Seto Kaiba, the same expressionless face.

"What happened to you, you look like hell" his voice discourteous.

Anzu felt anger in her. "I found Mokuba and this is how you repay me? He ran away and if I didn't catch him we would never find him!" she was on the verge of tears. Her body was so cold. "You could be nicer to me you big…" Suddenly Seto removed his trench coat from around him and wrapped it around Anzu and Mokuba. It felt so warm against her cold wet skin.

"The limo will be here in a second," he said. As if he was psychic, it appeared and the door opened quickly. Seto had to pry Mokuba off Anzu and set him inside. Anzu followed and then Seto got in. He closed the door and the driver took off. Seto would have dropped Anzu off at her house had she not fallen asleep minutes later, clutching his trench coat to her. Mokuba too was asleep, against Seto. Once arriving at the Kaiba mansion a butler was waiting for Seto with an umbrella along with two other men. They approached the car, took Mokuba in a warm blanket, and headed to his room. Seto then noticed Anzu sleeping and nudged her.

"Wake up Masaki," he said. Her eyes fluttered open and then she crawled out of the car and under the waiting umbrella. Once inside the main hall, the maids began to take off the jacket, shoes and socks Anzu was wearing. "Take Masaki up to the guest bathroom." Seto ordered before retreating through the doors under the double staircase.

The two maids led her too a room that near Mokuba's room. It was as fancy as the young boy's was. It had blue walls, white tile floors, and large bathtub and separate shower. One of the maids took out a several towels from the closet and laid them on the marble counter surrounding the sink. "Here you are Miss Masaki, you can bathe in here. Please give us your clothing so we can wash and dry them for you. Oh and here are some warm clothes to wear." One of the maids, pulled out some pajamas from the closet for her to wear.

Anzu watched them leave the bathroom, closing the door behind them. She stripped out of her muddy wet clothes and placed them in a basket. She noticed how much mud was on the floor from her and felt bad. The place was so clean and now she dirtied it up. Yet, if Seto could afford house cleaners, it probably would not be a problem to clean. Turning on the water for the large bathtub, she was surprised to see the faucet in the shape of duel monsters, spitting water out of their mouths. Anzu smirked and stepped in the steamy water, instantly her body felt warm. She sank into the water feeling relaxed.

_If this is a guest bath, I bet Kaiba's tub must be the size of a swimming pool._

Anzu smiled and then watched the water get higher. When it was high enough she turned it off and relaxed for a moment. She grabbed a sponge and began to wash her legs with soap. As she washed, there was a knock on the door. Anzu spun around and ducked down low into the tub submerging her body under.

"Come in?" she said unsure. It turned out to be one of the maids. She took Anzu's dirty clothes and left. Finishing her bath, she pulled herself and sat on the edge of the tub. She let the water drain, and took a step when she fell to the floor. The young girl clutched her ankle completely forgetting she had hurt it. Rubbing her throbbing ankle, she grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her body.

_Take it easy, Anzu. _She told herself. "ACHOO!" _Great that is all I need a cold. _She thought sniffling.

Anzu got dressed into the clothes left for her. They were a long sleeve pajama top and a matching blue pajama pants. As she placed them on, she noticed how baggy they were for her. The shirt even slipped down on her shoulder.

"This is a **_guy's_** outfit!" she said outraged. "Well… do I feel stupid. Why would Kaiba have girl clothes? It's only him and Mokuba." Sighing she limped out of the bathroom and down the hall to Mokuba's room. She wondered if he was all right. After limping the whole way to his room, she peered inside to find him in his bed and drinking hot soup. She gently knocked before entering.

"Hi Anzu," Mokuba said, his voice scratchy.

"You have a cold too?" she asked entering. Mokuba nodded and allowed Anzu to sit on her bed. While she was walking, he noticed her limp and felt bad.

"Want some soup? I can get someone to bring it up?" Mokuba asked.

"That sounds really good," Anzu said, hugging her legs to her chest. Mokuba pressed a button on his intercom and ordered some chicken soup to be brought up for Anzu. It took several minutes before a butler brought up a tray and a big bowel of piping hot soup. Together the two ate the chicken soup, which was good. Anzu had to compliment the cook if she ever saw her.

Upon finishing their soup, Anzu and Mokuba talked for a little bit, nothing too heavy just light talk. Mostly their chatter was about video games, how bad the weather is, and the chicken soup they ate. As they talked, Anzu noticed that Mokuba seemed tired. He rested his head on, his fluffy soft pillow and soon enough fell asleep. She smiled, stroking his damp hair. Just as she was about to drift off herself, she felt as if someone was watching her. Turning to the door, she gasped as she saw none other then Seto Kaiba standing at the door.

"I need to talk to Mokuba privately, Masaki." He said toneless.

"He's sleeping," she replied.

Seto approached stopping a foot from the bed. He noticed the boy sleeping and then at Anzu. He saw the pajamas on her small body. Those were a pair of his old pajamas. The last time he wore those was a long time ago.

"You're clothes should be dry, they'll be in the bathroom." Seto said wanting her out of the room. Anzu could tell and instead of arguing, she slid her legs over the side of the bed. Yet, once again, she forgot about her ankle and collapsed. However, she did not collapse to the floor. Looking up, she found Seto Kaiba clutching her under the arms. Anzu blinked in shock. Then Seto helped her up. The collar of the pajama slipped down her shoulder. Anzu felt her cheeks burn. She pulled the collar back up and hurried past him still limping.

"Masaki!" Seto said in his usual cold tone. Anzu winced and turned slightly. "You should have told me you found Mokuba and you should have someone look at that ankle."

Anzu hurried out of the room. She could not understand what just happened. Did THE Seto Kaiba just help her out? Yet he did not thank her but that did not matter. He noticed her ankle was hurt. At least he was not completely heartless.

Upon getting into the bathroom, she found her closed washed and ironed. They were neatly folded on the sing waiting for her. She quickly dressed into them and noticed how badly her ankle was swollen. Realizing she would have to put some ice on it at least, she decided to go home then. Wobbling back down the hall, she decided to tell Seto and Mokuba good-bye so she could get a ride home. Once outside the door way she could hear the brothers chatting. Instead of interrupting, she remained quiet.

"Mokuba you know that was wrong." Seto said harshly.

"Seto, I know… it's just… I was…"

"You could have gotten hurt, abducted, sick, or killed. Mokuba I watch out for you but this stunt was uncalled for. You do not even know how worried I was for you!"

"You… were worried… for me?" Mokuba's voice was so soft.

Seto reached over and with one arm hugged his brother to him. His arm wrapped around his brother's head causing the boy to freeze.

"Mokuba you are the only thing in the world I have, damn it, do not ever scare me like that!" Seto's voice wavered from his harshness.

Outside the room, Anzu smiled. This would prove to Mokuba that Seto loved him and perhaps it would show that Mokuba really needed Seto. Of course, not all the problems would be solved now however it was a start. Realizing she needed to go Anzu poked her head in and coughed.

"Excuse me but I'm going to go, Good bye Mokuba." Anzu then wobbled off hoping the limousine would be waiting for her. As she went down the hall, she came to the large split staircase. She held onto the banister so she would not fall. She went slowly but suddenly her legs began to feel like jelly. She coughed.

_I feel so sick. I need some sleep. _She thought as her head now began to pound.

When the girl went to take another step, she lost her footing and nearly tumbled down the steps had not someone caught her. Anzu was shocked as she felt a tight grip, the same tight grip as before, holding her up.

"You are such a klutz, Masaki." Seto said. Once again, he steadied her. "You are also brainless, running in heavy rain. You know I could have caught up with Mokuba faster then you did and spare yourself a possible sprained ankle.

Anzu looked at him and for some reason she could not face him. She felt embarrassed.

"WELL SORRY!" she cried. "I'm sorry for being so brainless and finding your brother!"

"But, thank you anyway." He said. "Now before you leave I have one of my staff members who'll look at your ankle." Then the CEO walked past her without another word. Anzu looked at him and blushed. Did Seto Kaiba just say **THANK YOU**? Oh, my god the world was ending. Never had she heard Seto Kaiba say thank you to anyone, let alone her. She watched the CEO about to go through a set of doors when Anzu remembered his trench coat.

"Kaiba, Thanks for the trench coat." She said. Kaiba however did not respond. Anzu smirked. Perhaps Seto Kaiba was not as heartless as she thought, perhaps.

**X, X, X,**

The next day, Anzu returned to school that Monday with a slight cold. She would have stayed home but school was treacherous and she needed to go so she would not be behind. Especially since so many tests were coming up and homework was very hard to make up since there was so much. Luckily, the rain passed and Anzu was able to walk to school without fighting the terrible rain. Her ankle was doing better since the staff member who looked at said it was a mild sprain and just to put some ice to keep the swelling down.

At her locker, she began to place on her school shoes when she noticed someone was standing next to her. She glanced up only a little to see it was only Yugi. He had a somewhat distraught look on her face.

"Hi, Yugi is something wrong?" Anzu asked in her cheerful tone.

"Anzu…" Yugi whispered. "Are you okay? You look a little flush and you're wobbling a lot."

"Oh, I got caught in the rain and I hurt my ankle," she showed Yugi her ankle wrapped tightly.

"Ah, so what about the emergency is everything okay?"

"Yes, everything is fine, sorry about ditching you."

"Would you like to get a milkshake with Jonouchi, Honda and I after school then?"

"Ah, I can't I have," she lowered her voice, "Work."

With a quick smile, she went off to class, closing her locker behind her and carrying her books. Yugi watched her go with a frown. At the same time, Jonouchi and Honda appeared around the corner. The two of them had suspicious looks on there faces. They were pondering something.

"Anzu has been acting weird lately," Jonouchi pointed out.

"Really weird, she has no time for us," Honda agreed.

"I bet Anzu is up to something shady," the blond haired boy said.

Yugi's eyes widened and his fists clutched tightly. Spinning around he turned, looking angry at Jonouchi, his puzzle flying madly around.

"Anzu is **not** like that!" Yugi defended her.

However, neither Honda nor Jonouchi were sure. To them it made sense. Anzu had to rush off and ditched them. She did not tell them where she was working even though she said she did not get the job as the sitter. Maybe Anzu was desperate enough to get money any way she could. Maybe she was selling herself to pay for her dance lessons.

"I think we should confront Anzu!" Jonouchi said pounding his fist into his hand.

"That way we can help her," Honda finished.

Yugi began wailing how Anzu was not like that and would have started punching and kicking his friends for even suggesting it. The last time Jonouchi had said this was when Anzu got a job at Burger World. Just then, the bell rang and the three boys screamed. They quickly ran to their class unable to believe they were late! For being late the three had to stand out in the hallway as punishment, which was embarrassing.

As Anzu sat at her desk, she felt her cold bother her. How she wish she could be at home and have some tea. She wondered if Mokuba was any better. Glancing over at Kaiba, she saw him jotting down notes. In the back of her mind, she could not believe Seto had said thank you. It was thoughtful of him even if it was not in the nicest of waves. Then again, Seto Kaiba would always be Seto Kaiba. That would probably be the last time he was ever nice to her.

_I wish Kaiba could be nicer. _Anzu thought. She then sneezed and realized how horrible she felt. _Stupid cold, if Kaiba was nicer Mokuba would not have ran off and then I would not be so sick. Oh well, maybe he will pay extra. HA, I wish. If he was nicer I would probably like him more… whoa … did I just say **like**? I must be sick. Me like that creep, he is my boss. What a joke. _

When school ended, Anzu was not only feeling worse then before because of her cold but Yugi and the others were hounding her and following her as if she was a criminal. Anzu was finally able to ditch them by hiding out in the bathroom. However, there was a problem. She could not let them know she was going to pick up Mokuba from school. One of the most important rules, no one should know she works for Seto Kaiba as his brother's nanny, **NO ONE**! Luckily, for her, one of her classmates Miho, better known as Ribbon for the ribbon she always wore in her hair, came in.

"Ribbon," Anzu asked. The shy girl looked up. "Is Yugi, Jonouchi or Honda standing outside or anywhere near here?"

The girl nodded. "Yes, I just saw them looking for you."

Anzu groaned, "Uh, can you distract them for me? They have been hounding me all day and I just want to get out of here without them following me as if I did something bad."

Ribbon, even though she thought it was weird, agreed. She knew Honda use to have and maybe still did have a small crush on her. She decided to distract them by finally talking to Honda, no matter how shy and embarrassing it was. Anzu was grateful!

The distraction worked and Anzu slipped away. She hurried as fast as she could to her locker, changed her shoes, and grabbed her coat. Hoping she would not be late to pick up Mokuba, she hurried out of the school and toward his elementary school. Luckily, for her it did not take her long to get to the school.

They then took a ride back to the mansion. Mokuba too was still sick. Another good point was the cook, Miss Mitsuki, made some more soup to help them feel better. In addition, some chamomile tea was given to them.

"This is really good," Anzu said, sipping her tea. Mokuba nodded in agreement. After finishing the soup and tea, the two sat at the table and Anzu stared around the dining hall.

"Hey Mokuba, what other things do you have in this mansion?" she asked bluntly.

"We have a swimming pool, sauna, hot tub, another game room, a study, a bunch of things… do you want a tour?" he asked. She nodded and the tour began. Mokuba showed her the indoor pool. It had a diving board and a water slide attached to it. Several different floatation devices were in the water. There was also an indoor hot tub near it where there were lights that changed the color of the water. Also in the poolroom was a bar, which made milkshakes and other drinks (Some alcoholic). After showing her the poolroom, Mokuba took her up in an elevator to the second floor.

As they walked down the hall a woman passed by, one of the house cleaners Anzu saw before. She stopped short and bowed quickly to Mokuba.

"HELLO!" she squeaked nervously.

"Hi Airi," Mokuba said as the passed by. The girl looked as if she was afraid of something. Perhaps she was new and did not want to mess up. Anzu could relate to that. "Hurry in this room," Mokuba called.

This room was amazing. The two were standing on top of a balcony overlooking a huge room. Attached to the balcony was a long spiral staircase that led down to the main part of the room. The carpeting was white and the walls were a soft blue. Fluorescent lights lit the room up as well as small spotlights showing a stage with large speakers. Anzu thought it was for karaoke. She was right but also behind the curtain was a movie screen. In the back there was a pool table, air hockey table, a foosball table, AND even personal arcade games. The chairs in the room where white leather as well as the couch. On one side of the room, there was a popcorn maker and a drink dispenser. Speakers hung from corners giving surround sound. A move projector was in the back of the room equipped with a DVD player. This room alone was probably worth then her house. There was more stuff in it then she could count! Not to mention all the stuff used to decorate it like statues, drapes, paintings, and other décor tees. After leaving this room, Mokuba walked down another hall and the two found themselves in a hallway with no windows.

"Mokuba where are we?" Anzu asked.

"Oh this isn't anything interesting really, its Seto's study and his room is near here too."

"How can you tell these hallways looks like all the others?"

"I live here remember?"

Anzu laughed and then looked around. The lights in this hallway dimly lit which gave her a chill. It was perfect for Seto.

"Hey Mokuba…" just then she noticed the young boy was gone, "Mokuba where did you go?"

She looked up and down the hall and saw a door slightly open. Perhaps Mokuba walked into that room. Without thinking, she opened the door and walked in. The room however was empty and it was all too familiar. This room was Seto's study. She had been here once and then left. Curiosity got the better of her. Instead of leaving, she entered further looking around. The place was full of books. She doubted that Seto read all of them but maybe most of them. Many times during class, he was reading some book. She looked over at his desk and saw several documents on the desk that looked important.

_Better, not touch anything it looks important._

Anzu stared around the room and realized Mokuba was right. Nothing was interesting in this room. She would have thought Seto would have **SOMETHING** cool. He may have had a lot of money but whatever. Anzu decided to leave and go find Mokuba. Taking one last look around the room, she turned to leave when she stopped short. Standing in front of her with a look that could kill was Seto Kaiba.

**X, X, X, **

**End of chapter 7.**

**Author Note- **This was chapter seven and eight combined. A very small portion of it was actually the original idea for chapter seven, this why I combined the chapter. It is about 2:30 in the morning as I finish this and man, am I tired. What can I say I do this for you. However, I got some disturbing news, which makes me sad. I read in a e-mail does not want to the Author to talk to the reviewers. I do not want to be kicked of I also do not know if this is a rumor but until I know it's true or not I cannot reply to you guys, SO SORRY! I will answer any question you have.

**In addition, since it is so late I did not get a chance to check for errors.** If anyone takes the time to correct grammar and spelling mistakes and send it to me it will be appreciated. (I really need to get a beta reader someday). If not its okay, I will get around to checking for errors.

**Thanks for the reviews though everyone. **I am so happy that right at this moment I have 93! I cannot believe I have so many. I hope I get more. Well anyway, until next time, take care and **please review**.


	8. I did not do it!

**Disclaimer- I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh**

**Melting the Ice ****  
****Chapter 8 **

**I did not do it! **

Anzu felt a lump form in the back of her throat. Her chest was tightening. She could not breathe. Her heart thumped wildly and loudly in her ears. She felt a bead of sweat drip down the back of her neck. The air was thick with tension. Seto's ice blue eyes were staring directly into her cerulean orbs. Anzu could not speak. If she could, what would she say? Would Seto even believe her? She was, after all, in his private study. This could not have been any worse if not added the fact that he was home earlier than usual. An unwelcome feeling passed as if ice-cold water had been thrown at her. It sent shivers down her spine.

"What are you doing in here?" Came a growl.

Before she could even begin justify herself, Seto closed the gap between them. If looks could kill, Anzu would have been six feet under. She swallowed the lump in her throat. Without warning, Seto shackled her wrist and flung her away from her desk toward the door. He then dropped his suitcase on the desk. It landed with a loud thud. Anzu jumped in surprise. His eyes were on her like a hawk. It had definitely been a bad idea to come in here.

'I should have just left!' She thought miserably.

"I was going to…" But before she could even explain, Seto was on her. He towered over her, his built imposing on her small frame. His eyes swept over her, making Anzu feel small. She stepped back on reflex, her back against the wall.

"This, Masaki, is MY private study." He snarled eloquently. "What gives you the right to enter here? Do you think, now that you work for me that you can walk around my mansion as if you own it?"

Anzu could not even get a word out. In her head, she kept calling herself "stupid" and thinking, "I'm going to get fired." She pressed herself against the door and closed her eyes. There was no way she could look at him. He looked as if he was going to hit her. 

"Hey Anzu where did you go?" Came a small voice. Anzu opened her eyes. Seto was still glaring at her. However, the sound of tiny feet running down the hall echoed into her ears. Then a second later Mokuba poked his head into the study. "Anzu, you in here? Oh big brother, you're home early!" Mokuba asked then stopped in surprise.

Seto scowled and moved away from Anzu, and Mokuba stared at the two in confusion albeit worried curiosity. He could tell something was definitely wrong as an immense feeling of tension ran through the room. Scratching his head he looked at Anzu and asked innocently, "Why are you in here? I was going to show you the garden, and our outdoor pool and waterfall."

Seto's eyes flashed in fury as he looked at his little brother. "She was snooping around in here."

"I was not!" Anzu's voice returned to her the next instant, "Mokuba was showing me around when I turned away and he was gone. I saw the door open slightly and I thought Mokuba came in here."

Seto glanced at Anzu and then down to Mokuba, and the boy nodded confirming everything. However, Seto continued to look suspicious. Then without a word, he turned his back. Mokuba grabbed his nanny's hand and yanked her out of the room. Anzu followed him out the door, then down the hall, and around the corner. Finally, he released her hand but examined her.

"What?" she asked.

"You didn't take anything from his study… or accidentally took something when he caught you. If you did, give it to me right now. If Seto thinks you have something, he is going to be suspicious. He might even have you searched. Just give it to me if you have anything and I will sneak it back."

He stretched out his hand, waiting for an item. Anzu smirked and ruffled his hair.

"I don't need to steal anything from you guys. Plus, let your brother search me. He won't find a thing." To prove a point, she pulled out the pockets in her blazer and even took it off. Mokuba was convinced and then told her to follow him. As the walked down the dimly lit halls, their feet shuffling across the blue carpets, they headed back to Mokuba's room.

"So why did you go into the study?" He was curious.

"Well, I really thought you were in there to begin with. I looked around for you and was just about to leave, when I noticed your brother glaring at me."

"Well, just try not to get on his bad side… He hates it when someone goes into his room. No house cleaner, butler, heck even I have trouble going into his private rooms. He likes to be alone in his study and bedroom."

Anzu sighed, as she took in what Mokuba was saying. Seto proved to like his privacy. She wondered then what he did with all that time alone. Did he just work or perhaps engage in something more interesting? Then again, he probably worked on his duel monster skills in hopes of someday beating Yugi. Anzu was pleased when her friend beat him. She hoped his arrogance would leave in time, but instead it only fueled him to work harder. She had to give him credit though. He was a very determined person. Finally, Anzu and Mokuba entered the boy's familiar room. Mokuba's books were scattered all over the floor. 

Kneeling down, Anzu deftly picked up a large math textbook and glancing over at the planner; she noted the pages Mokuba had needed to do for homework. She fingered through it and noticed there was much work needed to be done.

"You have a test coming up." She noticed. "Can I see your other tests?"

"What for?" The boy questioned, somewhat embarrassed at the same time. 

"Well I want to see how you work on tests; it'll help me see what you do right and wrong."

Mokuba picked up a red folder, covered in doodles. Several of the pictures were rough sketches of duel monster cards. They were very good for his age, probably even better. There was a Blue Eyes White Dragon and several other of Kaiba's duel monsters she has seen in the past. After shuffling through his papers, Mokuba found his old tests and handed them to Anzu. Glancing over them, Anzu noticed that the test scores were horrible. Not only the score but there were scratch marks, doodles all over, and several of the problems were complete guesses.

"We have a lot to do," She muttered shaking her head.

Mokuba flushed. However, Anzu ignored this and handed him his pencil. "Problem one…" she started, the determination still clear in her eyes.

**X, X, X,**

The next day, Anzu felt her cold taking its toll on her body. Not to mention the fact that she had spent more time helping Mokuba than she originally thought it would take. She refused to let him simply give up. Worst part is, although it was her own fault, she spent the whole night doing her own homework. There was plenty of time before school started and Anzu wished her cold were gone, having it made her feel slow and unable to concentrate. Sniffling, she poured herself a cup of tea from the steaming metal pot. The tea fell from the spout and into the ceramic cup.

She set the hot pot on the oven and sat at the tiny kitchen table. And after sipping the warm green tea, Anzu nibbled on her toast. Her throat felt scratchy and eating began to hurt. That is the reason she chose a light breakfast, not to mention her stomach probably could not handle it. Glancing outside, Anzu could see the clouds looking grey and miserable. Just like Anzu felt. Just then, the doorbell rang. The sudden sound made Anzu jump- her elbow colliding with the teacup, which sent it crashing to the floor. The warm tea splattered along the white linoleum, the hot liquid grazing over her sensitive foot. And she hissed as she felt the heat turn her foot a light pink. 

The doorbell rang again and Anzu debated on answering it or cleaning up her mess. Deciding to see who it was, she rushed through her living room and into the small hall. Then opening it slightly, she peeked through to see a, surprisingly, eager Yugi waiting on the other side. 

"Hi, Anzu!" He greeted cheerfully.

Yugi was dressed in his school uniform; white dress shirt, blue pants, and blue blazer. In addition, he was wearing his belt, wristbands and collar. Around his neck was his Millennium Puzzle, as usual. Over his clothes was a warm looking dark blue fall jacket. She could see, peeking out from behind his back, his backpack full of books. His hair was in its usual spiky appearance and his eyes were looking happily to see Anzu.

"ACHOO!" Anzu sneezed, "Sorry Yugi, hi come in."

Pushing open the white door, Anzu allowed Yugi to enter. Courteously, he removed his shoes and stood in his bare socks. He slipped off his backpack and placed it against the wall as well.

"Sorry, I know I should have called, bless you by the way, but I wanted to know if we could walk to school today?" He voiced, hopeful.

"Yeah sure, let me clean up first though."

Anzu led him through her living room. Yugi never really saw the inside of her house. The gang usually hung out at his place. The living room was nice, it had tope colored carpeting, and light brown colored couch and love seat. Several potted plants stood on the coffee table and side tables. Pictures of she and her parents hung on the walls, and on top of the TV stand. A large bay window was to the right; it had tope colored drapes with floral patterns.

Entering the kitchen, Yugi saw Anzu crouching down to pick up the broken shards of the teacup. She held the pieces in her hand, when she yelped and dropped them again.

"ANZU," Yugi rushed over instantly worried.

"I'm okay… I just cut my finger." She held up her right index finger. A small drop of crimson fell down.

"I'll clean the mess up," Yugi insisted. "You get a bandage." 

Before she could protest, Yugi began to clean up the shards. Anzu got up and went to her upstairs bathroom. She rummaged through the cabinet under the sink and found a box of bandages. Carefully she took a bandage out. After placing it on her finger, she looked at her hand. It was now that she realized something.

'God Kaiba was right I am a klutz!'

Upon returning back downstairs, she found Yugi done cleaning. Anzu gave him a cheerful smile, trying to hide the fact that she felt horrible. She would have loved to just stay home and sleep all day today. 

"Ready to go?" Yugi asked.

"Yeah, let's go, I'm not that hungry right now."

After dressing warmly, the two loaded their backpacks and headed for school together. The clouds moved overhead causing overcast. It would defiantly rain later today. Anzu only hoped it would be much later. 

"Hey Anzu," Yugi said softly. The two walked under a nearly leafless tree. The red and yellow leaves under them were wet and slippery. 

"Yeah, what is it?"

Yugi held his breath, his purple eyes staring intently ahead. "Anzu, do you want to hang out today after school?" He said in one breath then glanced up at her, and her cerulean orbs gazed back at him in sadness.

"Sorry Yugi, I'm not feeling too well. I'd actually much rather go home and sleep right after school."

In truth though, that was not the case at all. No, she would be watching Mokuba Kaiba. What could she say? She needed the money and this was one of the easiest ways to do it. People would not think of this as an after school job if they saw her with Mokuba. They would probably think she was just hanging out with him or something. The last thing she needed right now was expulsion.

In the height of this entire mind rambling of hers though, Yugi's distinct disappointment went unnoticed.

**X, X, X,**

Later that day, Seto Kaiba was at his desk working. His was typing rapidly on his black and silver laptop. His face was stern and his blue eyes unmoving. Something was wrong and Seto knew it. He looked through his laptop files looking for something important.

"I have it… but where?…" He mumbled.

He suddenly got up, and went to a filing cabinet located in the corner of the room. He pulled out a silver key and unlocked it. Grasping open the silver handle, he pulled the heavy drawer open. He flipped through the folders and documents. His eyes unsettling moved across each file.

"It's not here… It's got to be at the mansion then." He slammed his fist on the side of the drawer in frustration. Suddenly, a knock interrupted his thoughts. It was his bubbly secretary, which entered. 

"Mr. Kaiba, there is an urgent phone call on line two. I've been paging you but you have not been responding." She said. Kaiba then noticed the blinking light on his phone for the first time. He rushed over and grasped the phone.

"Hello," He barked in his usual tone.

"Mr. Kaiba, we lost the Ashiya account."

"WHAT?" Seto exploded, "How could we lose that account. That account was important! Their technology would have advanced us even further than our competitors!"

"Somehow," the voice on the other end, "Kei Kaido of Kaido Tech. bought them out. They got it!"

Seto Kaiba's eyes hardened into slits. He slammed the phone down. How could he lose an important document that he kept with him? He had last seen it in his study. Then a thought hit him. There had been a certain person in his study last night. Anzu Mazaki...

**X, X, X,**

"Oh wow, look at all the rain." Anzu said, staring out the balcony window of Mokuba's room. The two had been stuck indoors all day. Mokuba had finished his homework early and was now playing video games. He bounded up and down on his bed as he annihilated a zombie in his first person shooter game. The zombies gave Anzu the shivers. They were creepy, grey skin dead people, with maggots crawling over them and pieces of their skin missing. How a little boy could play that and not be afraid was beyond her.

Mokuba jumped up and down his bed again as if he was in the game dodging the zombies' attacks himself. His covers slipped off and his pillows flew from the bed. The cerulean-eyed girl could not help but laugh at the sight of his innocence. After a moment, her attention turned back to the pouring rain. She noticed a pair of lights moving up the driveway.

"Oh, hey your brother is back early again." Anzu told Mokuba. The dark haired boy pressed a few buttons, there was a huge explosion, and zombie body parts went flying. Pressing, "pause", Mokuba bounded off his bed and pressed his nose against the window.

"ALL RIGHT! SETO'S HOME!" He hurried toward the door but tripped over a wire. Laughing it off, he continued his travel toward the door. Anzu laughed half-heartedly then followed him. She walked him down the stairs and around the corner only to collide into a familiar face. 

"Sorry Airi," Mokuba said to the house cleaner. He then bounded passed her. Anzu looked startled as she saw a mess scattered all around. 

"Here let me help you," Anzu said.

"OH NO!" she said sharply. "It's my job."

Anzu nodded and walked passed her and then jogged to catch up with Mokuba. When the two entered the main hall, Seto was already inside. From the look on his face he looked like all hell was about to break lose. Mokuba flew down the stairs to his big brother but the moment he got to him, Seto glared.

"Get up to your room now!" he snapped. Mokuba backed away, startled by his brother's coldness. Without a word, he hurried back up the steps, passing Anzu in the process. Anzu watched him go. When she turned to see Seto, his eyes were fixated on her. His blue eyes glaring straight into her own.

"Masaki!" he snapped, "Get over here."

Without hesitating, Anzu went down the steps. When she reached Kaiba, he grabbed her wrist and dragged her into a room. The room was small parlor. It had white carpeting, blue walls, and blue furniture. The only light on in the room were the ones coming from the window. Seto flicked them on and Anzu winced.

"How much did he pay you?" Seto spat viciously.

"What?" Anzu replied, her eyes studying him as she hadn't understood what he was getting at.

"Don't play dumb with me, Masaki! Answer me, how much did Kaido pay you to get the Ashiya account?"

"I have no idea what you are talking about."

"You were in my study! I'm not stupid, you know. Obviously, it wasn't just some coincidence that you happened to be in my study the time my file went missing."

"I did not do it!"

"Shut up, Masaki. You are fired and I demand you get off my property immediately."

"FIRED?" Anzu wailed in bewilderment. "I didn't do anything and you are firing me?" Anzu was now near tears.

"Remove yourself or I will have your removed!" he spat, pushing her to the door. "You are the worst, using my brother. What was this for? Revenge? Get out and if I ever see you near Mokuba or my property, I will have you arrested."

Anzu stared in shock and confusion. Her eyes were brimming with tears. She wanted to defend herself but Kaiba was reaching for his cell phone. Without another word, she fled from the room. She rushed through the hall and toward the front door. After placing on her jacket and shoes, she grabbed her backpack and fled from the mansion. There was no limousine waiting for her, yet she did not care. She ran blindly into the dark, the rain pounding on her.

While high above the mansion in his room, Mokuba watched in confusion as Anzu made her way through the heavy rainfall.

**X, X, X,**

**End of chapter 8**

**Author note- **Another chapter finished, I feel relieved. Thanks to my Beta Reader (Starian Princess), I got this up a day early. I normally post a new chapter on Monday. Well sometimes I post it on Tuesday morning (around one or two in the morning ha, ha!). Also, when I got online to check all the reviews I got I was shocked to see my inbox filled. It is so overwhelming that I was inspired and had to write. Anyway, I want to get a few things out of my way I would like to say,

**1) **Yes, I know there were spelling mistakes in the last chapter. I did not get a chance to reread it. I will probably go back one day and fix EVERYTING! But not know.

**2) **Since school is starting soon it might be harder for me to write Cries and get this up sooner but I will try. Hides behind a shield from all her readers

**3) **I really have to say **THANK YOU SO MUCH** to Starian Princess. Just for that, this chapter is dedicated to you.

**4) **This is not one of my normal 10 chapter stories like "Thief's Hearts" this is going to be a LONG story. I am so excited because this story alone clobbers all my other stories in hits and probably reviews too.

**5) **Does anyone know any good Malik/Anzu, Bakura (or Ryou)/Anzu stories. After I want to take a day of my last week from school and read up on some stories. I have an idea for one more Yu-gi-oh story after this. It is going to be Malik/Anzu story since I think Malik did not get big story. Bakura got two stories and Seto is getting a long one. Sorry Malik don't hate me.

**6) **Finally, does anyone actually read my author notes?

**Well, until the next chapter Ciao! **


	9. Culprit Caught

**Disclaimer- I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh**

**Melting the Ice ******

**Chapter 9- Culprit Caught**

_Stupid Kaiba, stupid job, stupid rain; everything is just so stupid! It wasn't fair. I did not even do anything. Just because he hates me, he goes and fires me. Why do all these bad things happen to me? What did I do to deserve this?_

"Anzu, you're soaking wet and you feel ice-cold."

_Who cares, I just want to sleep. I want sleep and forget about all this; forget I even took the job when I found out Kaiba was my boss._

"Anzu, get out of those clothes and into bed. I think you might be sick. Anzu, you should have called or taken a bus home!"

_I am so cold though. My head hurts too. Mom, is that you? I feel dizzy… I feel so…_

"ANZU! OH GOD ANZU!"

**X, X, X**,

"Anzu has been sick for three days," Yugi said as he and his friends lounged around during lunch. The young boy was holding a sandwich in his hand, yet he did not even eat a bite. The mood would have been perfect. However, as usual Jonouchi and Honda were stuffing their faces full. Jonouchi then reached into his lunch bag, pulled out another sandwich, and ate it.

"Don't worry about it Yugi," Honda assured him. "Her parents said she would be fine in a few days, just let her rest. Worrying about it is not going to make the situation any better." Honda looked over at a cupcake on the table, near Yugi. He looked up and saw Jonouchi eyeing it as well. Yugi, however, continued to look downcast, not at all minding the starving looks his two friends were giving the "helpless" pastry.

"Are you going to eat that?" Both boys asked at the same time.

"No, I don't have much of an appetite right now. Go ahead." As if his reply was a signal, the two boys jumped at the chance they had been given. They began to wrestle for it and Yugi left unnoticed. Shoving his hands in his pocket, he walked down the hall towards his locker. The hallway had a few students passing by, each chatting with one another. Outside it was gray and dark. It would rain again soon. The weather respectively reflected Yugi's mood- depressing. Standing in front of it, he opened the metal door and began rummaging through it. At first, he did not know what he was looking for. It was then that he noticed someone standing next to him. It was a boy, he concluded as he so clearly saw the blue pants boys normally wore to school. 

"Hi, Yugi," it was Ryou Bakura. The snowy-white haired boy gave him a cheerful smile. Coincidentally, he opened his own locker right next to Yugi's. He fished out a rather large textbook and closed his locker. Yugi noticed the millennium ring lying lifeless around his neck but shrugged it off.

"You look a little down," Ryou observed, "What's wrong?" 

"Nothing, just a little worried about Anzu," Yugi muttered.

"Oh yeah, she's been sick for a couple of days now right? Don't worry about it I'm sure she'll be just fine being able to rest at home and all."

Yugi gave him a half-smile and then he walked off. Yet, he wondered. He wondered what exactly was going on with Anzu. She ditched him, Jonouchi, and Honda when they were to go out. Not to mention Anzu was being so busy but never explained why. Now, she was sick for days for being caught in the rain. It made Yugi worry. He wanted to know what was going on. After all, he cared for Anzu. Heck, she was one of his closest friends! Punching his fist into his hand as a gesture, he decided to find out what was up with her. He would have to be sneaky because last time he tried, she got passed him. Then again, bringing Jonouchi and Honda was not a smart idea. They were not exactly quiet and sneaky, especially Jonouchi.

**X, X, X,**

Mokuba paced back and forth inside his room. He had come home right after school let out because Seto had picked him up, and personally made sure he would not run off. The night Anzu was fired Mokuba had argued with Seto and tried to make sense of it all. He knew Anzu did not steal anything but Seto had been too hardheaded to listen. Then again, Mokuba assumed that Seto was looking for any reason to get her fired anyhow. Still dressed in his school uniform, Mokuba stared out through his window, at the dark grayish outside.

_I know she did not do anything. Someone else stole it. I'm pretty sure about that. But who could it be? I have to help her. She just has to come back!_

Mokuba continued to pace back and forth, pondering. Several times, he stopped and looked up with his fingers under his chin. Then he would angrily run his hands through his hair, effectively making it messier than it already was. Frustrated, he collapsed onto his bed face first. He buried himself into the fluffy white pillow, his arms stretched out at its size. A muffled moan fell out of him. Turning over on his back, Mokuba let out another moan.

_Who could it be? Not the cook, she was in the kitchen the whole time. The security guards were posted at the doors leading in or out. The driver was in the car. The butlers have the downstairs area. The house cleaners clean the bathrooms, my room as well- but the never go in Seto's rooms. I am not allowed in there. Wait a minute… I passed by Airi when I was giving Anzu a tour. Could it be...? __  
_  
Mokuba sat up in his bed. His eyes as wide as saucers and hands were gripping the bed. It made perfect sense, including the fact that she had looked incredibly nervous when they had passed her by. Sliding out of his bed, Mokuba ran over to the door of his room. And grasping the silver handle, he opened the door and looked around. No one was around. That was good for him. He did not want anyone to know. It was time for Mokuba to do some investigating.

**X, X, X,**

Anzu stayed in bed, her cheeks rosy red, and face flushed. She had been there for three days sleeping, taking medicine, and trying her best to down warm soup or tea. Right now, she felt too hot to sleep. The bedroom felt stuffy. Yet neither of her parents was home to help her. Slowly she got up but regretted it instantly. Dizziness overtook her and she nearly collapsed.

On her nightstand were a glass of water and some tablets of medicine to keep her fever down. Slowly she was getting better but she had to stay in bed. Yet the closeness and the heat of the room made her want to go mad. She wanted to go downstairs and watch TV or something. Any kind of distraction would be a welcome to her solitude. Glancing out the window, she saw a bright blue sky, something that she had not seen in days. The autumn had been nothing but dreary rainy days, cold windy nights, and crisp cold mornings. The sunlight pouring through the blinds was a warm feeling that just made her feel better. 

_Figures_, she thought bitterly, _the day I am evidently sick the heavens choose to bestow upon us clear blue skies. Great, just great._

Sighing miserably, she turned to her side and tried to go back to sleep. Perhaps her fever would be gone by tomorrow and she could return to school. Then she could make up on all the homework she had missed. It surprised her that neither Yugi nor the others brought her any homework yet. Maybe today she would get a visit.

**X, X, X,**

Mokuba had been hiding under Seto's desk, waiting for someone to enter. Resting next to him was a small watch to keep the time in check. He would expect the culprit to enter when Seto would not be home. If Seto caught him in here, Mokuba would get into loads of trouble. In the young boy's lap were his textbook, a notebook, and a calculator. Poking out of his mouth was a black flashlight, so he could read in the dark room. In his right hand, he was scribbling down the answers to his homework problems, trying his best to remember what Anzu had taught him. Several times, he punched his work in the calculator to check his answers. Mokuba thought about how Anzu taught him not to use a calculator.

_"A calculator is just a tool. It does no good if you do not know how to do the work yourself. It can help you check your answers but as I said, it is just a tool."_ He recited her words mentally. 

To which he complained about by saying, "_Who cares if I have a calculator? It will give me the answers_."

"_And what if you do not have a calculator_?" Her question made perfect sense and had hit home. It instantly caused the boy to shut up and learn his math properly.

Mokuba scribbled some more answers down. The scratching of pencil was the only sound echoing in the room, other than his breathing. After finishing the problem, Mokuba took a glance at the watch. It was 6:56. Perhaps whoever was stealing was not going to do anything today. That puzzled the young boy. After all, Seto had many other business deals that needed to be gone through if ever someone intended to do so. Sighing, Mokuba closed his book and tried to stretch his little legs out. He spent all his time hiding under a desk doing homework in the dark.

_I am so hungry_. He thought this as his stomach gave a growl.

As he was about to give into his little stakeout, by luck, he heard the door creak open. Mokuba flicked off his little flashlight and peered from under the desk. Lucky for him no one could see him from under the desk. Looking out the only light came from the dimly lit hall. Footsteps shuffled inside the room quietly and the door closed. Then the lights went on. Mokuba held his breath in preparation. The person in the room had his back turned to him. The person was indeed a woman. She was tall, well, for Mokuba nearly everyone was taller then him. So far, he could only tell she had black hair. The woman turned around and Mokuba felt his gut clench.

_It was Airi_! His mind exclaimed in anticipation- perhaps even surprise.

The young maid made her way to Seto's desk. Mokuba could see her black slippers from under the desk. She was close, dangerously close. Mokuba still had his breath held, his face turning red. Shuffling could be heard as Airi looked through the files on the desk.

"Where is the Shin file?" She muttered. Mokuba noticed her foot tapping close to his little hand. He quietly pulled it away and then saw her move away from the desk. Then horror struck Mokuba, what if she sat in the desk. She would surely catch him. At first Mokuba thought about coming out and catching, her red-handed but then there was a problem. Lately, Seto did not believe a word that came from his mouth. Airi could easily say she saw Mokuba enter the room. No, he would have to tell Seto to come home and that it was an emergency. Suddenly he saw the chair move.

Mokuba felt his blood run cold. Beads of sweat dripped down the back of his neck, dampening his red shirt. His mind was screaming that he was going to be caught and his stomach was hungry. Mokuba wanted to punch his stomach. If it growled, Airi would here it in this silent room. Heck, she would hear a pin drop at how quiet the room was.

"Ah, here it is. This file is going to give me some nice cash. Kaido will be pleased."

Mokuba was relieved. She would be leaving the room soon. As Airi took a step, a loud crunch echoed in the room. Just then, to Mokuba's horror he saw the watch. Airi had stepped on it and crushed it. 

"Damn it, I can't let that idiot Kaiba see this. If he knows someone was in his room, he would be suspicious. Luckily that stupid nanny took the fall for me last time." The young maid gathered up the watch quickly and left the room, shutting the lights and closing the door behind her. When she was gone, Mokuba let out a loud sigh of relief. 

"I have to get Seto back here." Mokuba said getting up. "I just hope he believes me."

**X, X, X,**

Anzu awoke to the sound of her doorbell ringing. She looked around and saw her room dark and her digital clock reading 7:31. The last thing she remembered was looking outside at how a nice day it was. Switching her lamp on, she got out of bed, putting on her yellow slippers. She readjusted her bright blue pajamas and ran her fingers through her hair to make herself more presentable. She walked out of the room and down the creaky hallway. She flicked on the light switch at the end of the hall and stared down the steps. The doorbell rang out once again.

Holding onto the banister, Anzu made her way down the stairs. She placed hand to her forehead and noticed she was not as sick anymore. Perhaps after some more rest she would be able to go back to school tomorrow. Reaching the door, she undid the locks and opened it slightly to see who was standing outside. It turned out to be Yugi.

"Hey Anzu!" He said excitedly. "I brought you your homework." The multicolored haired boy held out a folder full of homework papers and notes.

Anzu pushed the door open wider and allowed Yugi passage inside. A gentle breeze hit her, refreshing her skin and making her feel... alive. She was glad she could feel the cool air instead of being in her stuffy room. Gratefully, she took the homework her friend brought for her. 

"Are you feeling better?" Yugi asked, worry evident in his tone.

"A lot better," Anzu confirmed. "I might be able to make it to school tomorrow."

"I'm glad. I was… err… we were all worried. You know Jonouchi, Honda, Ryou, everyone really."

Anzu gave him a warm smile. Her cheeks were a slight rosy color from her fever, and she did look unkempt, but other than that, she looked much better. Anzu invited Yugi into her living room. She sat on the couch and looked over all the work she would have to make up. After taking off his shoes and coat, Yugi sat down.

"Thank you for bringing my homework," Anzu appreciated his kindness causing the boy to blush slightly. Yugi looked at Anzu feeling his heart pounding faster by the minute. This was the second time he was alone with her inside her house. Fortunately, she did not mind. He felt completely lucky.

"Sorry if it troubled you," Anzu apologized.

"No, no it's okay. I wish I could have brought it sooner. I was just busy. I had clean up after school and then Grandpa needed me to watch the store. After that I had some dinner and then I came here." 

Anzu smiled. Yugi felt his cheeks burn. Anzu's smile had made him feel so warm. He was happy he volunteered to give her, her homework. Just then, snapping Yugi from his daze, the phone rang. Excusing herself, Anzu went into the kitchen to pick it up. At first she assumed it would be her mother or father checking up on her. Yet, when she picked it up it turned out to be someone she did not expect. 

"Hello?" She said kindly.

"Anzu?" A small very familiar voice rang through.

"Mokuba," Anzu dropped her voice and turned her back on Yugi as she did not want him to hear.

"I need to see you. Please can you meet me at the park by the station?" 

"Mokuba is something wrong?"

"No, no… I just… Can you please come?"

"Yeah, I'll be there as soon as I can. Bye."

Hanging up the phone, Anzu bit her lip. Her hand lingered on the phone for a moment. Screwing up her face, she turned to Yugi and said, "It was my mom. She'll be home any minute so you better go."

Yugi frowned and nodded. He headed into the hallway and placed on his shoes and coat. After thanking him for his kind gesture, she closed the door. Afterward she bounded up her stairs and into her room. Opening the drawers, she pulled out a pair of white socks and placed them on. Flinging the wooden closet door open, she grabbed her warmest-looking jacket- a pale blue one on the outside and lemon colored on the inside. She placed it on without thinking about changing her pajamas. Worry was taking over her entirely. What could Mokuba be thinking, being outside alone at this hour? Had Kaiba upset him again? All these thoughts crossed through her mind as she ran down the stairs.

She found her purse in the downstairs closet, keys safely tucked inside with her wallet. Flinging it over her left shoulder, she opened her front door and closed it. After locking it, Anzu hurried down the front steps of her house and down the sidewalk. As fast as she could she ran toward the park, hoping Mokuba was okay.

Unnoticed by her was the person standing on the other end of the street.

**X, X, X,**

The night air was chilly. The streetlamps were lighting up the dark sky. Stars poked out from the purple sky like fireflies. The sounds of crickets could be heard all around the silent park. Some couples would occasionally walk across the cobblestone path. A gentle breeze rustled the trees and made the grass move like waves of water. Sitting on a green painted bench, Mokuba Kaiba was bundled in warm attire. He bore a navy blue jacket, a scarf, and a light blue shirt. From what was seen underneath, he wore bright blue jeans, white socks, and tennis shoes. In his hands was a paper cup of steaming hot chocolate. The steam from the opening of the lid rose into the air and disappeared quickly.

As he took a sip, out of the corner of his eye he saw a figure running his way. At first, he thought it might be a jogger, out for a nightly run, but when he took a closer look, he knew whom it was.

"Anzu," Mokuba whispered.

The brunette girl, upon spotting him slowed down her run, huffing in exhaustion. Bending forward, Anzu placed her hands on her knees and took several long deep breaths. Her hair was chaotic and beads of sweat were falling down her pale face.

"Mokuba, are you okay?" Anzu gasped. "You're not hurt, are you?"

The young boy shook his head as he jumped off the bench, then smiled and nodded.

"I'm perfectly fine." He insisted. "I just wanted to tell you something."

"Why couldn't you have told me on the phone?"

"Well not me personally, we couldn't go to your house. Someone might see us so we came here."

"Wait minute who is "we"?"

Just then, Anzu noticed a shadow standing next to her figure. It was tall and lean. Turning around, Anzu gasped. Seto Kaiba, dressed in an all black attire except for his white trench coat, stood in front of her. He looked just as intimidating as all the other times she had seen him. Taking a step back, Anzu felt her stomach tighten. Horrible memories of him yelling at her three days prior came flooding back. Seto approached her and all Anzu could think about was him yelling at her. Once he was inches from her, Anzu shut her eyes thinking the worse when he spoke, "We caught the culprit stealing my documents." 

"Huh?" Anzu looked up. Kaiba rolled his eyes.

"You are off the hook."

Mokuba ran in front of the shocked girl and smiled. "Seto has more to say."

Her cerulean orbs lifted to Kaiba's navy ones. His head turned off to the side. Silence fell before them. Mokuba let out a slight cough but Seto did not reply. Then with a swift kick to the leg, Seto looked at Anzu. He mumbled something.

"What?" Both Mokuba and Anzu said at the same time.

Growling he spoke up, "I apologize for accusing you, Mazaki!"

Mokuba grinned and then looked up at Anzu. His eyes looked hopeful and impossible to ignore. "Will you be my nanny again?"

"Well, I would like to but I don't think I can." Anzu began when Seto cut her off.

"Take it or leave it Mazaki, I have to get Mokuba back to bed."

"Fine but next time you want accuse someone make sure you have all the…" Suddenly Anzu fell forward. Mokuba moved out of the way just as Seto caught her by the shoulders. Anzu's hand touched his chest, her head dropping onto his shoulder. After steadying her, Kaiba's hand instinctively found her forehead. Her head was warm.

"Mazaki you idiot, were you running around in the cold with a fever? Didn't you take a bus or get your parents to drive you here?"

"Sorry… I'm SO stupid," She groaned out. "I was worried for Mokuba. Now if you excuse me, I'm going home." Pushing Kaiba away, Anzu took a few steps when she felt a hand grab her. At first, she thought it was Mokuba but when she looked up and she saw it was Seto instead. 

"I need you to work tomorrow, so you are coming with us. My driver will take you home." Seto's grip was firm on her hand. He pulled her firmly, showing her she had no choice and then let go. Together the three headed to the waiting limousine.

However, watching them from behind a tree was a small figure. Around his neck was an upside down pyramid gleaming in the light. His purple eyes were staring intently at the trio. Then Yugi Mutou whispered, "What's going on?"

**X, X, X,**

**The End of chapter 9 **

**Author Note- **Thanks for reading everyone, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Well I was feeling sick so I did not have much time to write it. Luckily, for me my Beta reader gets these chapters checked fast. Thanks for all the reviews. I am glad to see so many and that I am getting so many readers. Just a few things I would like to say.

**1)** I really find it rude to people who e-mail me and leave rude comments, or if I get a review about how fast I update. It gets on my nerves and believe me, I do no want to take it out on my loyal readers. I can understand constructive criticism I take it well but when someone is rude, it really bugs me.

**2)** I am starting my classes again so if I am a little late with chapter updates bare with me. I have to study and I have a job now too so it will make it even harder. I promise however, I will continue to update. If there is any problem, I will leave a message for you people so you know why I cannot update.

**Anyway until next time, thanks for reading and please leave a review. **


	10. Assailants

**Disclaimer- I do not own Yu-gi-Oh**

**Melting the Ice ******

**Chapter 10- Assailants**

Anzu sat in the limousine with Mokuba next to her. Still in his hand was the steamy cup of hot chocolate. He sipped at gingerly, careful not to burn himself. Seto, on the other hand, was sitting silently staring out the tinted windows, his eyes never straying. It had definitely been a once in a millennium thing, Seto Kaiba apologizing... to her no less- Yugi's cheerleader. She had never seen him apologize to anyone, ever. It had not been the best of apologies but Anzu would take it. That would probably be the last time she ever heard something nice come out of his mouth directed towards her. Letting out the breath she did not know she had been holding, she leaned back into the leather seat. She was thankful Seto had forced her to come. She probably would have collapsed from exhaustion if not.

"Just a question," Anzu said breaking the silence. Mokuba turned his curious orbs to her with a puzzled look. "How did you find out who it was?"

Mokuba gave her a sheepish grin. "I was watching the room and when I found out who it was, I called Seto. I told him it was an emergency and he rushed home. When he came home, I told him about what I had seen. At first, he did not believe me but then I told Airi- the house cleaner who stole the files- to clean my room. When she did, I slipped into her things and found the documents. Then well, the rest is history." 

Anzu smiled graciously. She then looked over at Seto- who was still not looking at her. Gently, she patted Mokuba's head and whispered "thanks" to him, glad someone stood up for her. Mokuba grinned wider, his eyes shining happily.

When the limousine pulled up next to the curb near Anzu's house, she straightened her back. Meekly, she slid out and stepped on to the slippery sidewalk. She felt dizzy for a moment but recovered before anyone could notice. Turning around, she was just about to thank Seto and Mokuba for the ride when she noticed he was now looking forward but not at her. It began to irritate her. Was he THAT self-centered that he could not even look at her? If he did not want to say sorry then he did not have to! The job back would have been thanks enough because she needed it so much. Letting out a growl, she was about to tell him off when he spoke first.

"Next time, dress in appropriate attire. Your pajamas are not a suitable outfit to be running around, in the rain no less." Seto said unable to look at her.

Anzu looked down and gulped. She completely forgot she was in her pajamas. The bright blue sleeping attire was not a thick material. She remembered feeling hot while sleeping and had changed into a thinner material. Had it rained harder, people would have probably been able to see right through it. The coat she was wearing was not even zipped up and she was wearing a v-neck to add to that. Her face burned a bright red.

"Anzu, are feeling alright?" Mokuba had noticed. Anzu looked at him and nodded, feeling completely embarrassed. She had just remembered that Yugi had seen her like this as well. Her face, if possible, turned even redder. "Well, see you tomorrow Anzu, good night!" Mokuba called out. Anzu waved good-bye and watched the door close. The next second, the limousine pulled from the curb and drove off down the street. When it was finally gone, Anzu ran into her house.

_OH MY GOD! KAIBA SAW ME IN MY PAJAMAS! OH MAN, YUGI DID TOO! This is so embarrassing. I was not evening thinking about how I looked when Mokuba called. I thought he was in trouble. Yeah, so I have an excuse there. Man but Yugi, oh gosh, he must have been uncomfortable. I am such an idiot!_

Sighing, Anzu kicked her shoes off and hung her jacket up. The house was the same as she had left it. Her parents were still at work while she was home alone. Despite the fact of feeling greatly embarrassed, Anzu could not help but be happy. Relief washed over her. She had her job back, she was feeling better, and nothing could go wrong now. Everything felt so perfect!

**X, X, X,**

"You are late in coming home today, Yugi." Said Sugoruku Mutou, Yugi's grandfather. Before returning, the owner of the Kame Game Shop was sweeping the floor. The small shop had shelves and tables covered with different games, and even had a special section just for duel monster cards. The old man looked at his grandson with a worried expression. Yugi looked dazed, as if he was not all there. The young boy passed his elder as if he had not even heard him. Once again, Sugoruku attempted to get his grandson's attention. "Did you give Anzu her homework?"

The mentioning of Anzu's name drew Yugi from his daze. He only replied with a small, "Yeah" and headed for his room. He started climbing the wooden stairs, each step making a soft creak as he walked. Once in his room, Yugi shut the door and flopped down on top of his bed face down. The millennium puzzle lazily fell next to him. The room was dark, despite the light from the streetlamps outside the window. Yugi's room was small, with a bed, a desk, and a dresser. On the hard wooden floor was a dark maroon rug. Just then, a light began to emit from the millennium puzzle. The spirit emerged, sitting on the bed next to him.

Yami looked similar to Yugi. He wore the same clothing but the difference was the way he held himself. Unlike cheery little Yugi, the spirit looked fierce and sturdy. At the moment however, his eyes faltered towards his other half. Compassion filled his eyes as he saw the boy lying face down.

"Is there something wrong?" He asked gently. He did not want to press the boy into talking about his problems. Yet, he wanted to help him. Yugi said something muffled underneath the covers, something the spirit could not understand. "Pardon?" He tried again. Yugi flipped over onto his back and sighed.

"It's Anzu," He muttered sadly.

"Is she hurt?" Yami probed.

"No, well at least I think she's fine. I saw her earlier today. I gave her the homework she missed."

"But…" 

"I stopped at the corner of her block and while I was tying my shoes, I saw her rush out. I followed her because I was worried. She ran all the way to the park and I could not even think why she would go there late at night. I hid behind a tree and I saw her… talking… I saw her talking to Kaiba of all people! I could not hear what they were saying but after they finished, he gave her a ride in his limo. At first, I could not think of what Anzu could have been doing, ditching me and all, just to see HIM. It pisses me even more, knowing that he probably doesn't even like her as much as I do!"

Yugi was on the verge of tears. Yami was taken aback by his outburst. He could see how much his lighter half cared for his friend. The hurt and confusion in his eyes were unbearable. However, Yami offered the only advice he could think of.

"Talk to her about it. It might not be what you think it is." 

_Perhaps that would be the best thing to do_, he thought.

**X, X, X,**

After shutting off her alarm clock, on habit Anzu got up and got ready for school. She showered, dressed, and everything before coming down to breakfast. As usual, she would be eating alone since her mother and father already left for work. She took out some bread to make herself with some eggs. After popping the toast in the toaster, she cracked a few eggs and scrambled them. She spilled them onto a hot pan and watched them sizzle. By schedule, the bread and eggs finished at the same time. She then dumped them onto a plate. Placing them on the table, she fished out a carton of juice in the refrigerator and then poured herself a glass.

She sat at the table and ate silently. On the table was a newspaper, unopened. Neither her parents would have time to read it, she knew. However, Anzu was curious to see what was going on since she had been sick. Opening it, the main page had several important issues and events that did not concern the young girl. Tossing it back down, she finished her breakfast and got up. Quickly, she washed and dried them before leaving. Placing on her shoes and a warm jacket, Anzu grabbed her backpack and pondered something.

It looks like it might rain again. Figures, when I'm sick the weather's all good but when I get better, it turns all ruddy again. She frowned slightly.

Grabbing her dark green umbrella, Anzu headed out the door locking it behind her. The air was cool this morning, the smell of rain hung in the air. Leaves piled on the grass, as well as the streets and sidewalks. Autumn was certainly here, and it looked like it was going to be brutal, especially with all the rain. However, Anzu would rather look on the brighter side. She had her job back and she was feeling a lot better. Turning the corner of her street, Anzu headed for school whistling in contemplation.

Leaves and twigs from the trees snapped and crackled under her feet. The breeze whipped at her face causing Anzu to hug her collar close. Quickening her pace, Anzu jogged across the street. She wanted, even with her umbrella, to make it to school before it could possibly rain. Several drops fell from the sky, hitting her on the head and cheek. Her swift jog proved useful for the second she entered the school, the sky had darkened and the rain began to fall.

"Just made it," She muttered to herself then headed to her locker and noticed someone familiar standing there. "Hey Yugi." She greeted. 

"Hey Anzu," His voice sounded distressing, which caught Anzu off guard. Yugi looked at her as she opened her locker, deciding to talk to him after she changed out of her shoes and coat.

"I know Anzu," Yugi said suddenly.

"Know what?" She replied, slipping on her school shoes.

"I saw you with Kaiba last night. Were you two together the whole time?" 

Anzu froze. She turned to Yugi with utmost horror. Questions began to fill her head. Was he spying on her like before? Did he follow her because he was suspicious? How much of the conversation between her and Kaiba did he hear?

"Yugi, can we go some place more private?" She asked.

"Oh, so NOW you want to go some place. It seems only when Kaiba is not around that you want to hang out. Is he your new best friend or something? Are you ditching us for his money? Do you not think we're good enough anymore?" Each word coming out of Yugi's mouth was bitter and hurtful. Anzu averted her eyes, her left hand trembling. Then all of a sudden, her shaky nature transformed into anger.

"You know NOTHING about this!" She hissed angrily. "How dare you accuse me. I am and always will be your friend and you were the last person I would think would act like this."

Nearly on the verge of tears, Anzu turned to leave when Yugi grabbed her by the wrist. The young girl stopped short and turned to see Yugi, his face sad. He never meant to be angry with her but he could not help it. Why was she with someone who did not give her the time of day before?

"Can we talk?" Yugi begged.

Anzu wanted to tell him off for being so rude but she could not. Yugi was her best friend. "Yeah, let's go." She agreed.

The two went into an empty hallway and stood by a window. The floor was a dull color and the walls were white. Doors stood on one side while windows and heaters stood on the other. There was nothing cheerful about this place. Then again, what school was inviting? The rain was pouring down and it seemed horrible outside. Many of the students were running toward the school at full speed. Anzu looked at Yugi. It was hard to look at him since she was hiding this secret from him. Then again, she was not allowed to tell anyone. She could not lie to him, he would know.

"Yugi," She began. "You have to promise NOT to tell anyone, not even Honda or Jonouchi!"

She looked at him straight in the eye. Her cerulean orbs intense and scanning his for any doubt. When he accepted, Anzu took a deep breath. What could she do? She could try lying to him but would he believe it? Then again, if she told the truth, Yugi would understand and she would have a confidant. Would it cost her her job? She could only come up with one solution. Tell the truth.

"I work for Kaiba," she said, "As Mokuba's nanny. It is after school and weekends and it pays really well. Mokuba talked Kaiba into it, which is the only reason why he hired me, I think. Anyway, last night he rehired me after firing me. He thought I stole something but it was a misunderstanding. Believe me Yugi, the only reason I was ditching you and not being able to tell is because I am not supposed to. Kaiba is… how can I say this… paranoid about it. It is not as if I wanted to keep it a secret but I had no choice. The money, however, will help me get into a dance class here in Japan. It is not cheap either, so please Yugi I beg of you not to tell anyone. Promise me."

Anzu would have fallen to her hands and knees for him to keep it quiet. However, Yugi was a good friend. He agreed not to tell anyone and even volunteered to keep Jonouchi and Honda from being suspicious. Both Anzu and Yugi new Jonouchi was not too fond of Kaiba since the CEO made him feel inferior. Not to mention the way Kaiba loved making Jonouchi feel bad and getting him all riled up. The last thing they needed was him screaming at Anzu and letting the whole world know about her job.

After thanking Yugi graciously, Anzu hugged him. Yugi was taken aback by the gesture. His cheeks turned rosy red but he hugged her in return. He loved the feeling of Anzu holding him. Her body pressed against his, her arms wrapped tightly around him, the feel of her cheek against his, and the smell of her perfume was intoxicating. When she let go of him, Yugi almost felt sad to have it end. Suddenly the sound of the first bell rang. The two gulped and hurried off to class before they could be late.  
**  
****X, X, X, ****  
**  
"Anzu I want to go out. I hate staying indoors." Mokuba whined as he stared out the window. His homework was in a neat pile, already finished. Anzu was sitting on the floor, scribbling some notes about things she should remember to help Mokuba on before the test next week.

"Mokuba it's raining cats and dogs out there" She pointed out.

"Oh come on, we can always wear ponchos!" Mokuba said, his voice pleading with her and his eyes turning all puppy-dog like.

"Where do you want to go?" Anzu sighed tossing the note pad aside. Well, she had to give in to those, right?

The young boy whooped in excitement. "Let's go to this game shop that sells duel monster cards. Seto gave me some money that I can spend it on anything I want. I really want to get some new cards so I can be as good a duelist as Seto is. Then we can go and get something to eat at this cool place that makes some good pizza!"

"You planned this out, didn't you?" Anzu questioned to which Mokuba only grinned.

Getting up, the two left the room and headed for the main hall. Anzu and Mokuba placed on their shoes and some ponchos that Kaiba kept in handy if ever needed. Mokuba placed on a bright yellow one while Anzu wore a light blue one.

_Lucky, I brought my umbrella_. Anzu thought taking her umbrella from the closet. The rain was coming down harshly. Anzu could not believe she agreed to this but who could refuse Mokuba? He was so adorable and sweet. He was cute enough to get away with murder if he wanted to. The two exited the dry mansion and into the horrible mess outside. Rain pounded on the umbrella that Anzu held over her and Mokuba as they approached the limousine.

Sliding inside, Anzu shut the umbrella and closed the door. This limousine had soft cushioning instead of leather. The seat color was black with a dark blue interior. Like in the other limousines, this one had a small refrigerator and a television set. There was also a video game console hooked up. Little lights roamed the floor as well as the center of the back. Anzu said it before and she would say it again. Kaiba paid no expense. He was rich and he wanted people to know it. 

The limousine stopped at the corner of the block where the card shop was. Anzu got out first and opened her umbrella. Mokuba followed and stood close to her. The rain pattered loudly on her umbrella, water splashed their shoes, socks, and legs as they walked. Streetlamps lit the way down the dark streets. They entered the shop, which felt cold inside. Anzu shivered as she closed her umbrella. The place was filled with card packets from wall to wall and shelf to shelf. Some cards were sold separate but at a high price for their rarity. The walls were an ugly tan and the carpeting was scarlet. A man sat at the cash register. He had tanned skin and had a piercing in his eyebrow, lip, and ears. His hair was jet black and eyes brown. He wore a maroon shirt and black pants. He sat reading a magazine, not caring about the people who entered.

When Mokuba entered the card shop, it was like a child in a candy store. He looked at all the packs of cards wondering which would be good. In a glass case, several very high-level monster cards were. "Wow! Look, there is Ordeal of the Traveler." Mokuba read the card name. "And look, Dark Magician Girl and Baby Dragon." At first, Mokuba looked as if he was ready to hand over all the yen he had to buy every card he saw. However, he settled with a few packs of cards and some high-level monster cards instead.

"Are you going to get anything Anzu?" Mokuba asked.

"No, I'm good. I have a deck at home. Although it's not as good as Yugi's, I'm contented with it." She smiled.

Mokuba shrugged and then purchased his cards. He unwrapped them in the shop, checking out all the ones he got. "Oh wow, look at this!" He held up a card to Anzu. "It's a Battle Ox. Seto has one of those in his deck." Anzu pretended to be interested but she could care less about Seto and his deck.

"Where is this pizza shop?" Anzu asked feeling hungry.

"Down the street, we can walk there." Mokuba said, tucking his deck safely in his pocket. Once again, Anzu opened the umbrella and together, she and Mokuba headed out of the shop. The rain pattered hard against them. Anzu sighed, wishing the rain would just stop. Just then, she noticed someone in a trench coat standing in the pouring rain. She felt uneasy about him. Besides the trench coat covering him, there was nothing else. His hair, from what Anzu could tell from this point, was bleached and the young man was wearing sunglasses.

_What weirdo wears sunglasses when it rains? Well other than the blind people, I guess. Oh gosh, I sure hope he isn't some blind guy who got lost in this rain._

She placed a hand on Mokuba protectively and pulled him gently so they could walk around the young man. However, he stepped right in their path. Anzu backed up and tried to go around him the other way but again he moved in their way. Suddenly the uneasy feeling came back. Anzu could see his mouth twitch into a sadistic smile. Pushing Mokuba behind her, she kept a close grip on him nonetheless.

"Let us through," Anzu demanded.

"You aren't going anywhere sweetheart." The man said.

Anzu then heard the sound of splashing. Both she and Mokuba turned to see another man standing behind them. Mokuba backed into Anzu not sure what was going on but scared at the same time. The second man had long white hair down to his waist and pale skin. He had on a trench coat as well and sunglasses.

"What do want?" Anzu asked nervously.

"We want you to come with us and believe me, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. We would not want to hurt the rich little brat." 

They were after Mokuba. As one of the men approached, Anzu quickly shoved her umbrella in his face and kicked him in the chin.

"MOKUBA RUN!" Anzu screamed. The young boy was about to make a run for it when the other man lunged at him. The young girl pushed the boy out of the way, sending him to the ground. She then used her umbrella and whacked the man as hard as she could across the face. At the same time Mokuba got up, water drenching his body. Quickly, Anzu grasped his little hand and began to run, dragging the boy with her. Before the two could make it far, Anzu felt her grip on Mokuba begin to slip. She turned behind and saw one of the men was grasping the boy by the poncho and slowly pulling him in. Blood was dripping down his face where Anzu had hit him, his sunglasses skewed

"ANZU, HELP ME!" Mokuba cried as the man grasped his foot. Anzu spun around and delivered a sharp kick with her shoe to his face again. Caught off guard, the man let Mokuba slip through his fingers. Yet before they could continue the bleach, blond-haired man was in the way. Before Anzu could react, he sent a hard hit at her gut, knocking the wind from her. Mokuba screamed but it was muffled when the white haired man got up and covered his mouth. Mokuba began to struggle in the man's grip but the white haired assailant held him tight. That is until the white haired man yelped in pain. Mokuba had dug his teeth into the man's index finger.

"You little brat," The white haired man growled. The next thing Anzu saw made her furious. Mokuba was sent flying into the wall of the building, his body sliding down, motionless. Anzu screamed in horror but before she could do more, a sharp hit to her head sent everything black.

**X, X, X,**

**Author note**- Another chapter completed and left with a nice cliffhanger. My first week of classes when well and I hope it continues. Thanks for all the reviews in the last chapter. I like reading them. Anyway, please review for this one too. I love all your input. Well there is not much else to say so that is it. Until next time, read, review, and take care.


	11. The unfair duel

**Disclaimer- I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh**

**Melting the Ice ****  
****Chapter 11-****  
****The Unfair Duel **

It was pitch black. The floor was cold and it felt like metal. The room itself had an eerie chill, or perhaps it was the fact that Anzu's clothes were still wet. The young girl could not make heads or tails of anything. At first, she had no idea what happened until realization dawned her about the two mysterious men. Her memory of them of the incident was growing clearer until she felt a sudden pain. Then all went black until a moment ago when she awoke. Her head throbbed painfully as if someone was pounding a hammer into her skull. Both arms and legs felt stiff, whoever placed her here did not care for her condition. Then another thought hit her. Where was Mokuba? Fear for the boy's safety made her sit up, which she regretted instantly. Wavering, she placed both hands firmly on the ground and waited for the light-headedness to disperse. Afterward, she slowly went to her hands and knees, searching for the younger Kaiba.

"Mokuba, where are you?" Her voice echoed in the room. "Mokuba, please answer me." She continued to crawl, sliding her hands around to see if she could find the boy. Perhaps he was still unconscious. As Anzu crawled, she felt her poncho ball up and trip her. Quickly, she discarded it and continued her blind search. She continued to call out his name in hopes for a response as her search went on. Taking another small movement, Anzu's hand hit a wall. She felt glad to find the wall, perhaps now she would be able to find some sort of door. After traveling around the room, guided by the walls, Anzu could not find a doorknob. Trapped in a room with no way out, Anzu began to bang on the walls.

"LET ME OUT!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. She began to bang harder. However, being in a bare room her voice and pounding echoed. After a few minutes, Anzu stopped. Her throat was dry, the walls were metal, and they were hurting her tiny hand. Slumping to the floor, she sighed and began to wonder. Thoughts entered her head like a storm. Such thoughts as if Mokuba were alright, how she would be able to get out, and even if she were to die in this place continued to fill her to the core until she un-doubtfully heard placid footsteps coming from somewhere.

Getting up, Anzu began to pound on the wall and began to scream for help. She stopped for a moment, heard something unclear and then continued. A few more seconds and Anzu stopped once again and then pressed her ear to the wall. Nothing, all was quiet. Feeling hopeless, Anzu once again slumped to the floor. Hugging her legs to her, she placed her head on her knees. What was going to happen to her?

The young girl did not know how long she had been stuck in there. To her it seemed like hours, perhaps even the possibility of days. That was until she heard a loud click. Her head lifted, her eyes squinting to see what was going on. Suddenly, from her left side a bright light entered the room. Anzu shaded her eyes from the blinding light. However, she tried to catch a glimpse of who or what was there. All she could make out was a large silhouette of a man. Carelessly, the man threw an object into the room. She looked down through teary eyes to see a mess of long dark hair attached to a small body. Finally, Anzu realized what it was. She screamed out Mokuba's name without even realizing. She rushed to the young boy and turned him over. Horror filled her eyes, her voice now lost.

The young boy's gentle face covered in small cuts and clusters of bruises. His clothing was tattered and stained in spots of blood. Gently she touched him, his eyes opening slowly and he smiled before he fell unconscious. Growling, the young girl stood up, her eyes full of fire.

"What did you do to him?" She demanded. That was a stupid question. They beat him up obviously. Therefore, she restated her question. "Why did you do this to him? He is just a little kid! He has done nothing to you." The person smirked, which made Anzu furious. Her hands rolled up into tight fists wanting to swing at him as hard as she could.

"Watch it, sweetheart," His voice was deep. "I might do to you what I did to him." Anzu let out a growl and looked down at the poor boy. Her stomach churned at the horrible sight. Anyone who could hurt a child was disgusting. Tears made her vision blurry but she instantly pushed them away when a hand touched her brown locks. Anzu stepped back, her head snapping forward to find the white haired man in front of her. Her eyes narrowed as he let out a chuckle. He reached his hand out again and this time Anzu kicked him hard as she could in the shin. The reaction took the white haired man by surprised. The second he recovered, he backhanded Anzu, sending her to the ground. The brown haired girl landed hard, clutching her throbbing red cheek. 

"You little bitch," he spat. He grabbed her by her arm and forced her against the wall. Anzu' back slammed hard, knocking the wind out of her. Anzu winced as his hand clutched her throat, nearly strangling her. Anzu tried to scream but the only thing that came out was a choking noise, barely above a whisper.

"Let her go," Said another voice. The white haired man released Anzu, letting her slump to the floor. Anzu rubbed her throat and took deep breaths. Walking into the room now was the other assailant. His bleached blond hair was spiked up and he was still wearing his trench coat and sunglasses. He glanced down at the brunette for a mere second before returning his attention to the white haired man. 

"Does it matter? She isn't the one we wanted anyway." The white haired man complained. "We got the brat, that's all that mattered." The bleached haired man sighed and turned to leave. The white haired man followed. The door closed behind them and a second later clicked locked.

Anzu, remembering where Mokuba had been thrown, crawled over to him. She touched his face gently and frowned. She then picked him up and laid his head in her lap. With her fingertips, she stroked his forehead and whispered sweet words of encouragement. However, it felt so hopeless. She was in a room, which was seemingly locked from the outside, one of the kidnappers tried to make a pass at her and then nearly killed her, Mokuba was beaten, and above all no one knew where they were. Tears began to slip down the young girls face. What could she do now?

**X, X, X,**

It was pandemonium at Kaiba Corp. It had not been long until the news of Mokuba's abduction reached the CEO's ears. Seto Kaiba had sent all his personal bodyguards out searching while he operated his computer to do a scan. Seto, after Mokuba ran away, had placed a small homing device on the necklace they wore with each other's pictures inside. Of course, Mokuba did not know about it, Seto though it was best not to tell him. He placed the device inside when he was sleeping. Seto did not want to take any more chances with his little brother.

He must be inside a secure area, Seto noted mentally. It will take longer to find him. Do not worry Mokuba, I will find you and take care of whoever did this to you.

His fingers rapidly flew over the keyboard. The loud clicking echoed in his room as he searched for the location of his brother. Yet, something in the back of his mind was poking at him. Several times, he pushed it aside because of the fear for his brother. However, it always managed to nag him, what about Anzu? She was with Mokuba when he was abducted since the period was when she was supposed to watch him. If Mokuba was with her, he only hoped that Anzu was watching over him. Suddenly a blinking light flashed over the screen. The screen pulled up a layout of a building and a map for directions to it. It was an old abandoned building on the outskirts of Domino City. He quickly memorized the directions. That is where Mokuba was and that is where he is going.

Getting up from his desk, he rushed out of the room. He walked across the long hallway with white walls and marble flooring. Directly ahead of him was an elevator. He got inside and stood silently as the elevator flew down to the ground floor without stopping. When it stopped, the door opened and Seto walked out in a quick pace. Anyone who was in his way parted immediately from his path.

Outside near Kaiba Corp, Yugi was standing at a payphone. He sighed and hung up when he noticed Seto Kaiba leaving his building. Yugi looked puzzled to see the CEO leaving Kaiba Corp so early. Anzu had spoken to him about how Kaiba came home at night from work but it was still too early for that. Just then, a bad thought struck Yugi. What if Anzu had been hurt or was in some kind of accident? Deciding he had better investigate, Yugi tailed the CEO.

**X, X, X,**

Mokuba opened his eyes only to see darkness surrounding him. However, he could feel the gentle touch of someone's hand against his. Water dripped down his forehead but they were warm and salty. It took him a moment to realize it was not water but tears. Someone was crying and that someone was his nanny. Gently he gave her hand a squeeze to reassure her now he was okay.

"It's okay," he spoke softly, his voice hoarse. "Seto will find us." 

Anzu's thumb brushed his scraped knuckles. Her lap was still cradling his head for support. Thinking about it, Mokuba was glad Anzu was here with him. He felt safe and warm with her holding him. He was never afraid when Seto was around. He almost felt the same with her. Sighing, he pulled himself up, feeling light-headed.

"You should take it easy," Anzu whispered in fear.

"Don't cry Anzu, I'm okay." He replied trying to sound brave. After saying that, he felt the girl ruffle his hair. He could not see the small smile on her face. Their short chat would not last apparently, for the door flung open scaring both the boy and his nanny. Marching toward them was the white haired man. He made Anzu's blood boil. Instinctively, Anzu placed herself between him and Mokuba. Once he approached her, he pushed her aside but Anzu quickly recovered. Before he could touch Mokuba, Anzu lunged at him keeping him out of Mokuba's reach.

"Leave him alone!" She ordered.

"Shut up," the white haired man barked pushing her violently to the ground. Anzu landed with a loud thump on her behind. Mokuba growled and then ran toward him swinging wildly. The man in white laughed as he took the younger Kaiba by the wrist and hit him in the stomach. Mokuba gasped and hung limply. The white haired man tucked Mokuba under his arm. A small chuckled escaped him. Anzu growled and jumped. She pounded as hard as she could against his arm but the man took her wrist and twisted her arm behind her back. Anzu screamed in pain as he twisted it and pushed up, making her fall to her knees.

"Quit playing around, Seto Kaiba is arriving with an unexpected guest." The bleach blond man said entering the room. "It seems like it is that champion duelist Yugi Mutou."

Yugi, what is he doing here? Anzu thought although in pain.

"So what does the boss want us to do about it?"

"We boss want us to take both of them out. We'll take over Kaiba Corp and then we will also get publicity for beating this so called 'unbeatable' duelist."

"We'll get paid a hefty reward for this, eh?"

"An extra 100,000 yen,"

"Perfect." 

**X, X, X,**

Seto Kaiba arrived outside the building. He stared up at the old and restricted building. It was a tarnished and brown. Cracks etched their way through the sides making it look unstable. The windows were covered in thick layers of dust and dirt, some windows broken. The ground was unleveled with the concrete cracked as well. The inside must have been in an even worse condition. On the door, there was a large sign saying "Condemned" and right under that it said, "Do not enter." Yet a cold chill went down his spine. In his mind, he wondered if his little brother was okay. Without another thought he entered, and unnoticed, Yugi was right behind him.

The CEO followed a long corridor. The floor was wooden and the walls were close. It was almost claustrophobically tight. The smell of the building was rancid. Obviously since it was condemned, who would walk in here and clean it up? Continuing on his way, he noticed that there was a fork in the hallway. One to the left looked dark and dingy while the one on the right was slightly lit but dusty. Not sure which one to take he decided on taking the left hallway. He assumed whoever kidnapped Mokuba was luring him and would want him down this hallway. Without giving it a second thought, he went down the dark hallway. 

The dark corridor twisted around at sharp angles, making it hard for Seto to peer around the corner for traps. That was what was on his mind. What kind of traps would be awaiting him? Would the floor open beneath him and would he fall to his death? Perhaps, someone was waiting with a gun and ready to shoot him, who knew? Seto felt his nostrils burn from all the dust in the hallway. He would have sneezed had he not forced himself not too. If someone was waiting, he did not want to alert him or her of how close he was. However, to his dismay, Seto came to a dead end. He shook his head and decided to back track to the other hallway. Turning around however he gave a start when he saw someone was behind him.

"Yugi?" He said confusingly but his tone changed into its usual cold nature. "Yugi, what are you doing here? Following me?" The CEO's eyes burned at the young boy's with utmost disgust. Seto hated him for the fact that Yugi had beaten him in a duel when he was just an amateur while he was the champion. It was infuriating. He still did not understand how he had lost. It was not only this time but at Battle City too. He defeated him and Yugi now held all three Egyptian God Cards. He hated it with fury.

"I saw you in a rush," Yugi began but Kaiba cut him off.

"I have no time to waste," Seto growled. "I have to find Mokuba." The CEO took a step to leave back down the hall when the floor beneath them collapsed. Seto and Yugi both let out a horrified yell from the sudden fall. The next thing they new, the two found themselves falling down a chute. It twisted down in a coil in what seemed like an endless slide. When it did end, the two boys were sent flying straight into a small windowless room. It was an elevator shaft. Yugi had hit the back wall hard and was now lying on the floor. Seto had crashed into Yugi making the poor boy into a sandwich. The door slid shut and the two boys found themselves going up.

"What a fun ride," Yugi muttered rubbing his stomach. The impact would not have hurt so much had Yugi's stomach not hit the millennium puzzle and Seto crushing him into it. Seto noticed the elevator's speed was abnormal, which made him edgy. It was taking him and Yugi quickly to the top.

"Kaiba, what is going on?" Yugi asked.

"I don't see why I have to answer to you," Seto replied rudely. 

"If Mokuba's in danger let me help you." Yugi intentionally left out Anzu's name. He of course was worried about her but then again, he did not want to bring Anzu up if she was not a part of this.

"I don't need your help," Kaiba trailed off from his thought when the elevator suddenly stopped. The elevator door slowly opened, both Yugi and Kaiba stepped out and stared in awe. They were in the middle of a dueling field where the monsters would appear. The two looked around when the elevator door slid shut with a bang. The two spun around startled but then there was a high-pitched laughter. A feminine laughter echoed through the arena. The tow searched for the voice and spotted it. Kaiba gasped and then growled.

"Airi!" He shouted out his former maid's name.

The maid tossed her dark hair behind her as she stared down at them. She was dressed trench coat, dark pants and low cut blue top. She was standing in front of a podium where someone would play duel monsters. Grinning, she looked down at Kaiba and said, "Surprised you remembered my name. I am so glad you could come. Oh and look, you brought the little boy who kicked your sorry behind in a duel. What was his name? Oh yeah, it was Yugi."

"What have you done with Mokuba?" Kaiba demanded.

"Why, see for yourself. He is right above you. Oh, and so is that little nanny of his too."

Seto and Yugi looked up and gasped. Mokuba and Anzu were in a glass box suspended high above the field. Both Mokuba and Anzu looked as if the life beaten out of them. Anzu was holding the boy in her arms protectively.

"ANZU!" Yugi shouted, "What did you do?" The boy's eyes flashed with hatred.

"I did not do a thing but my friends did. Meet Susumu and Katsu." Susumu was the white haired man while Katsu was the bleached blond haired man. "They were the ones who personally did all the dirty work. You know, firing me was not a smart move. I would have buried your company to the ground on my own but now I have to do it the hard way. If you want your brother back, Seto Kaiba, you have to duel us! Win and Mokuba goes free. Lose and you have to sign your company over to our boss!"

Seto gritted his teeth, hand clenched tightly into fists. "Kaido," Kaiba said knowing who was behind this. "I'll duel all three of you and beat you!"

"Unfortunately, Seto Kaiba you will not be dueling alone we have orders from our boss to take out the pip squeak too. Beating little Yugi will bring his company excellent publicity."

Yugi stepped forward, his millennium puzzle glowing. Yugi looked over at Kaiba and the two understood one another. "You want to duel us, then you got us! However three against two is not quite fair." 

Airi laughed and then said, "Fine, since we do not need your stupid nanny she can duel as your teammate. Either way you will still lose." Airi commanded Susumu to release Anzu. Anzu and Mokuba both heard of the situation but the girl did not have her deck with her. Mokuba however had his and handed it to her. Susumu freed Anzu from the box. Nevertheless, the young girl was apprehensive. She did not know what kind of deck Mokuba had built and was not at all as good of a duelist as Yugi or Kaiba. Susumu led her down to the field and left her to rejoin her boss and friend.

"Anzu, are you all right?" Yami, who had emerged from the millennium ring, asked incredibly worried. She nodded slowly, not wanting them to worry about her.

Suddenly three doorways opened which would lead each duelist to there dueling podium. Airi instructed them to pick a spot and she would then explain the rules of this duel. Kaiba took the center podium, Yugi the right, and Anzu the left. The plat forms rose high into the air until they were leveled where Mokuba was suspended. The young boy seemed relieved to see his brother. Seto however was angry to see his brother's condition. Under his breath, he swore that they would pay.

"The rules are," Airi began in a snobbish tone, "I will start first, then Kaiba, Susumu, Yugi, Katsu, and then Anzu. We each have only a mere two thousand life points each to begin with. When you lose life points, the platform you are on will drop depending on how many life points you lose. When one team loses all their life points, the duel is obviously over. However if we win, Seto Kaiba you must sign Kaiba Corp over to Mr. Kaido. If you win, which I assure you will not, Mokuba will be released from his little prison and you are free to go. Oh, by the way I should have mentioned this earlier, if you lose all your life points your podium will crash to the ground, killing you."

Anzu, Seto, and Yugi gasped. Yugi looked at Anzu with concern.

"Anzu," he began but she cut him off.

"Don't worry Yugi." Anzu said. "I'll be okay. Right now, we have to save Mokuba. He is in bad shape." She looked at Seto sadly. "I am sorry I could not protect him. Kaiba, I tried."

Tears formed in her eyes but Seto shook his head. "Stop crying, you did your best. Now, concentrate on this duel." Anzu blinked back the tears and nodded. The words that came out of Seto were rather surprising. Then all at the same time the duelists laid there decks on the space where the deck was to go. Their life points were set at two thousand. They all picked up the amount of cards allotted and began. Anzu glanced down at her five cards and grimaced. She had never seen any of these before. Toll (a magic card), Giant Turtle Who Feeds on Flames (monster), High Tide Gyojin (monster), The forceful Sentry (Magic), and Dark Zebra (effect monster) made up her five cards.

Airi started fist by drawing a card and then placing a monster face up in attack position. It was Fire Kraken (Monster with attack of 1600 and defense of 1500). It looked like a giant squid covered in flames. She then placed a card down and ended her turn. Seto placed a monster face down and placed two cards face down before ending his turn. The duelists each placed down their cards and ended their turn since they could not attack yet. When it came to Anzu's turn, she nervously picked up another card. It was another monster card called Ancient One of the Deep Forest.

Anzu pondered her choice, which clearly got on the nerves of her opposing duelists. They began yelling at her to hurry up, not make a mistake, and other things, which shook the girl. She began to choose one card when their taunting continued.

"Anzu, take your time." Yami said. "Do not listen to them."

Anzu looked at him and then slowly reached for High Tide Gyojin and placed him on the field face up. "I place High Tide Gyojin in attack mode and end my turn." She called out.

Airi grinned and to Yugi and Seto's dismay shook their heads. Anzu left her card completely helpless on the field.

"Listen here, nanny," Airi laughed. "You are so stupid leaving a monster unprotected. The least you could have done was put it in defense mode. Well, guess that you are going to get a crash course into dueling. First off attacking your monster would be stupid especially since mine is 50 attack points behind yours. Therefore, I will just give it a power boost with my magic card called, Black Pendent." 

She flipped over her magic card and a black pendent appeared around her squid like card raising its attack points. Then in one swift motion, the monster attacked Anzu's destroying her monster and sending her life points down to 1550. After the virtual dust cleared, Anzu was suddenly sent plummeting. When it stopped, she landed on her backside clearly surprised.

"ANZU," Yami shouted. "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'll be okay." She replied. She slowly got up and then saw Airi place one more card face down and ending her turn.

Seto looked down at her and then showed his monster card, Judge Man. He then called out his attack to take out Airi's; however, it was not to be. The moment he did, a magic card was played which was the Spell Binding Circle to stop the Judge Man. Yet, it was not Airi who played the card.

"What the heck?" Kaiba said confusingly.

"Oh yeah I forgot to mention you can use magic or trap cards to save your friends too. Did we forget to mention it?" Katsu said as he revealed to be the one to have played the card.

"Yeah you did forget to mention it," Yami said to gritted teeth.

"Any other rules you neglected to mention?" Seto said coldly.

"Oh, I can't think of any," Susumu said cheeky. Seto let out a low growled and placed a monster card in defense mode and then another card face down before ending his turn. Next, it was Susumu. 

"Since it is my turn I'll play Doma the Angel of Silence (1600/1400) in attack mode and have it wipe out the brunette's life points." 

Anzu gasped as she saw the monster ready to hit her. She let out a scream and covered her eyes ready for impact. There was a loud bang, a cloud of virtual dust, and then silence.

**X, X, X,**

**Author Note- **Wow, sorry this one took so long to get up. I had homework and had to go to work so it was tough and my beta reader was busy too. I am glad though she fixed it up and now it is up. Anyway enjoy the chapter and I will get the next one out as soon as possible. Oh and do not forget to leave a review.


	12. This Cannot Be

**Disclaimer- I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh**

**Melting the Ice ****  
****Chapter 12 ****  
****This Cannot Be**

The cloud of virtual dust began to disperse. Susumu had a grin on his face as he watched in cynical laughter, yet the grin fell when he saw Anzu's life points untouched and his monster trapped in a virtual hole. Someone had used the Trap Hole trap card to protect her. Anzu turned around gratefully to look at Yugi, but to her surprise, he just stood there as well looking dumbfounded. It was then that she realized who had actually used the card.

"Seto Kaiba? Protecting the nanny from harm, I see." Airi sneered. "Why don't you just let her fall to her death? She is the weakest link after all."

Anzu stared at him in disbelief. He had saved her from being killed. "Kaiba, thank you!" Anzu shouted.

Kaiba did not answer. Instead, he glared at his opponents and then waited for his teammate to make a move. Inwardly, Yami let out a sigh of relief. Yami looked at his hand and then noted he had to make sure Katsu did not attack Anzu. Kaiba had saved her once but he could not depend on him for the entire match. Right now, he had Celtic Guardian on the field with a magic card face down. He looked at the card he had picked up, believing it would help him. To his relief, it was Sword of Revealing Light a perfect card to protect Anzu until her next turn, if needed. He placed it face down on the field and than called forth another monster to attack. It was Dark Blade (1800/1500). Noticing that Katsu would be the next to go, he sent forth his monster to attack him.

Katsu gaped and watched Dark Blade slice his monster into pieces. However, it was not a big loss to him. His life points went down by two hundred. Katsu plummeted lower than his teammates, letting out a yawn as he did.

"I expected better from YOU, Yugi Mutou." Katsu smirked. He then drew a card and sighed with content. He placed a monster on the field, Cyber Falcon (1400/1200). "Just to increase its power, I'll add Reinforcements to add a 500 point boost to my monster to destroy your Celtic Guardian." Yugi watched as his life points went down by five hundred, and then smiled. Anzu was safe and now she could put up a good defense.

Anzu looked back at her cards and drew another one. She looked through her cards and noticed the Dark Zebra was an Earth monster as well as an effect card.

"HURRY UP!" Airi screeched. "You are such a loser. Play a stupid card already."

"Anzu," Yami warned. "Do not let them get to you. You must calm down." Anzu nodded and went to place her card on the field however, Airi laughed.

"You sure you should play that card? Last time you played a card you got a lot of you life points taken away. You sure you can handle getting your butt kicked again?"

Anzu felt a bead of sweat drop down the back of her neck. Her hands began to tremble. She was way out of Airi's league. As a duelist, she could never compete with them and they knew it. Self-doubt began to plague her mind. What could she do? What if she chose the wrong card and cost herself her own life, Seto, or Yugi's. She then saw Mokuba in his cage looking scared, his eyes brimming with tears. What if Mokuba got hurt because of her mistakes?

"What are you waiting for?" Airi pressured. "Just surrender then, if you don't want to play."

"Masaki, are you going to take that?" Kaiba asked without looking at her. Anzu turned her cerulean orbs to him in confusion. What in the world, was he talking about?

"I must agree. As a duelist, you are mediocre." Kaiba said, "But I have seen you overcome the odds before. Did you not beat that stupid puppy dog before all the time? I thought you were smarter than letting these amateurs get to you. "

_Puppy dog? Oh, he had meant Jounouchi. Yeah I did beat him before when he first started playing. I also beat Mai to win back Yugi's star chips. I also beat that person in the virtual world when the odds were really against me. Kaiba is right. I will not let them get to me._

Her eyes narrowed and she glared at Airi. She then looked at her cards. Deciding on what to do, she pulled out the Dark Zebra.

"I play Dark Zebra in attack mode and I also place two cards face down on the field. Now, Dark Zebra attack Susumu's face down monster." The Zebra charged and attacked the card revealing a weak monster. However since his monster was in defense mode, no life points were lost. What it did do was leave his life points wide open for an attack. The only thing protecting him was a face down card.

After her turn ended, the life points stood: Airi 2000, Kaiba 2000, Susumu 2000, Yugi 1500, Katsu 1800, and Anzu at 1550.

Airi snorted eloquently and flipped her long locks. She then took her turn and noticed Anzu card went to defense mode. The Dark Zebra's effect is if it were the only card in her control, it would go to defense mode during the standby phase. Airi thought it was an easy opening since its defense was only 400. She placed a new monster in defense mode to protect her life points and sent her Fire Kraken to attack Anzu's Dark Zebra. However, before the attack could work, Anzu flipped a card over and grinned.

"Sorry but your monster is not going to attack my monster. I play Block Attack!" Airi growled and watched her monster shift into defense mode. She ended her turn in a huff. Anzu let out a small sigh of relief. At least she did not lose any life points again. Not to mention she proved she could hold her own. The game continued to progress back and forth until it seemed like Team Kaiba seemed to be winning. Seto had his La Jinn the Mystical Genie of the Lamp and Hyozanryu on the field along with a single card face down. Yugi had his Dark Magician Girl in attack position with a magic card also. Anzu looked down at her single card on the field Spirit of the Harp in defense mode. Yet, something began to trouble Anzu. She noticed how her opponents did not seem too bothered by the fact that they were losing, not to mention that several cards on the field were not being played for a while.

They are up to something, Anzu thought. She noticed Seto ready to take his turn.

"Be careful guys," Anzu called out. "They are up to something." 

"Suspicious, are we?" Katsu called out with a yawn.

"I do not like how calm you are when this game is supposed to be a between-life-and-death situation." Anzu spat.

"Don't worry Anzu," Yami said calmly.

"But they could be hiding something!" She protested.

"Shut up already, you idiot." Seto said, annoyed with her arguing. Anzu closed her mouth. She wanted to yell at him but now was not the time to fight. After Kaiba took his turn and eliminated another card from the opponents' side it was Susumu's turn again.  
He let out a yawn- yet again- and then picked up a card. He looked at it and then placed it on the field.

"I end my turn." He announced. It was odd for him to just place a card on the field and not attack. Yugi took his turn and eliminated another card but no life points were lost this time.

"Can this game be any more boring?" Katsu drawled. He drew his card and suddenly his bored face went into a chilling smile. Anzu looked apprehensive but her teammates were calm. She looked at them and then blinked.

It is as if they were expecting this. God, how can they keep their cool? I am so nervous and my heart is pounding a mile a minute. I feel so overwhelmed.

"I play X-head Cannon," he said with a grin. "And one card face down. With that, I end my turn."

Anzu picked up a card and looked at it briefly. She placed it face down, placed another monster in defense mode, and ended her turn. Airi then called out, "I play Y-Dragon Head and end my turn."

Kaiba took his turn but he just placed on card face down and ended his turn as well. Susumu smiled and then said, "I play Z-metal tank. And now, it's time to end this game."

"What are you talking about?" Yami demanded ready and waiting to take his turn.

"Don't you see the last three monsters we played?" Airi said.

"Union monsters. So?" Yami said annoyed.

"Union…?" Anzu whispered to herself. _I have never even heard of them_. 

"Oh, did we forget to tell you another rule?" Katsu asks.

"Why am I not surprised?" Seto said bitterly.

Susumu let out a soft chuckle, catching the attention of his three opponents. Then all of a sudden, the three monsters began to merge into one.

"Another rule we 'forgot' to mention is you can merge monsters together and yes, we created this fascinating creature XYZ-Dragon Cannon! To the person with the strongest monster goes the victory and here it is. Discarding one card from my hand I can destroy any of your monsters and I choose Seto Kaiba's monster, La Jinn!" In a second, an energy ray came out and destroyed Seto's monster. Then the monster attacked his Hyozanryu and sending his life points and his podium down. Yami took his turn and placed his Mystical Elf in defense mode. Next, it was Katsu's turn once again.

"I will discard my one card and destroy Yugi's Mystical Elf!" Suddenly the monster was blasted and exploded into virtual dust. 

"WHAT THE HELL?" Anzu, Seto, and Yami yelled at the exact same time. 

"Looks like they left out another rule," Anzu gaped.

"Since, XYZ is all three of our monsters combined. We can all control him. Even though I got rid of one of Yami's monsters, I think I will blast Seto Kaiba's life points directly. It will wipe him out and than Kaiba, you will die!"

Mokuba's eyes widened and he began to pound on the glass screaming for his big brother. Anzu saw the tears pouring out of his eyes. Just as the attack was about to hit Seto, Yami flipped over his magic card Swords of Reveling Light. The monster froze in place to the shock of the three opponents. Seto did not look over at Yami at all. Yugi did not even bother to say a thing to him either. Anzu swallowed hard, her nerves still rattled. How could they win in just three turns? The odds were surely against them.

"Oh so you protected him. Who cares? In three turns, your time is up!" Airi sneered.  
Anzu felt a lump in the back of her throat. What could they do now? They had three turns to try to defeat a monster that all three of them controlled and could easily wipe out their life points. She looked over at Yami, who gave her, a confident smile.

_What is he smiling about_? She wondered in wild astonishment.

Then she noticed Seto, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards.

_Do they know something I do not? What if they have lost it and have gone completely insane. No, no Anzu just remember these two are the top two duelists. They will not lose and neither will you. Concentrate._

She drew her card and then placed one card face down and ended her turn. Airi, confidently passed her turn allowing Kaiba to take his.

"Can you seriously win?" Airi smirked.

"It's only going to take three turns." Seto chastised. He picked up a card, played Lord of D, and than placed two cards face down. Susumu passed up his turn saying he had nothing to play and that it did not matter. Yami looked over at Seto and smirked again. He placed another card on the field and ended his turn. The turns went around until it came to Anzu again. She kept glancing over at her teammates utterly confused. As Anzu began to draw a card, she heard a voice interrupt them.

"Masaki, do you trust me?" It was Seto.

"What are you talking about?"

"Are you willing to put your life in my hands to win?"

"What… are you saying? I don't understand!"

"Anzu, if you want to win please trust us." Yami spoke up. "If you do not we cannot possibly win."

For a moment, Anzu felt nervous. Her head began to fill with questions. Could she really rely on Seto Kaiba to win this duel? What if he messed up and in the process, they all died? Maybe it would be better if she worked alone. These thoughts plagued her mind. Her life was on the line. No, this was a team duel and she knew she would have to work with them. All three of them would have to survive and not just one.

"Yes, I trust you." She replied firmly. After a quick glance, she placed on card down and watched Airi use a magic card called Just Desserts to lower Anzu's life points. Airi watched Anzu and laughed as she fell flat on her bottom from the sudden fall. Now it was back to Seto. He drew his card and smiled once again.

"I am going to sacrifice my teammate's two monsters so I can begin the White Dragon Ritual. With that, I can summon Paladin of White Dragon (1900/1200)."

"So what? It's still weaker than our monster." Katsu remarked.

"I'm surprised you did not take notice to my Lord of D's special ability. No Dragon card can be harmed by magic and spell cards as long as he is on the field."

"Your point is?" Susumu pressed on.

"Who says the Paladin of White Dragon is the card I want. I am using him to summon my most powerful monster. By sacrificing it, I will summon one of my Blue Eyes White Dragon! That is not all though, I also play Flute of Summoning Dragon to bring out my other two Blue Eyes White Dragons."

Suddenly the three monsters appeared on the field snarling and screeching. They were magnificent. The opponents were surprised at first but laughed.

"You cannot attack this turn anyway." Susumu grinned. He then played a magic card called Scapegoat. "This will protect our monster well, especially since none of you will be able to defeat us. Since I believe Katsu has a magic card called, Dispel that will eliminate your swords of revealing light!"

"Then he will be the first to be destroyed." Yugi said. "I play Polymerization to fuse all three of the Blue Eyes White Dragons and since one of my monsters was sacrificed to bring one of them I can also control him. Blue Eyes ULTIMATE Dragon destroy Z-metal tank!" 

The enormous dragon blasted away a piece of the monster. Susumu's life points dropped to zero.

"Now it's my turn!" Anzu said confidently. "I am going to power up the Blue Eyes with Rush Recklessly giving it 700 more attack points so it will wipe out all of your life points Airi, ATTACK!"

Then Kaiba took a hold and used the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon to wipe out all of Katsu's life points. When all three of their life points dropped to zero the virtual monsters vanished. Mokuba who had been watching cheered happily, as his prison lowered to the center of the dueling field and opened.

"Mokuba, are you all right?" Kaiba called out to his little brother.

"I'm fine!" he called back happily. Seto sighed with relief. However, their victory was short lived as Airi began to laugh insanely. The three looked up and saw her face twisted.

"We may have lost but listen to me Kaiba… you all die too!"

"GET OFF THE PODIUMS!" Yami shouted spinning around on his heels. Kaiba did the same, snatching his deck and jumped for the open door. Anzu grabbed Mokuba's deck just as the podium suddenly dropped. With a mad jump, she grabbed the ledge, desperately holding herself up. At the same time, all three podiums went crashing to the floor, killing the three opponents. Luckily the arena was so big that Mokuba was not harmed, however the electricity from the technology sparked up fire. Flames began shooting up from the destroyed equipment.

"ANZU," Mokuba screamed, watching the girl dangle.

"Mokuba get out of here now!" Anzu's voice echoed. "NOW! GO!" 

However, Anzu arms began to shake and she began to lose her grip. She could feel the heat from the flames at her feet. She tried to pull herself up but it was no use. There was nothing to help her.

_I_ _cannot hold on anymore… I am going to die._

Suddenly her hands slipped away. "NO!" she screamed but before she got far she felt a hand clamp her forearm. Looking up she expected it to be Yugi, only to find it was Seto Kaiba holding her from instant death! Fear absorbed her cerulean eyes. Seto's cobalt blue eyes stared at her with determination to pull her back up. On sheer will alone, Seto managed to pull her to safety. Coughing from all the smoke, Anzu looked up at the CEO with gratitude.

"Hurry up," he said. Anzu looked at him weakly. Why was she so tired all of a sudden? It was as if her body had lost all its energy. Maybe it was from all the smoke or maybe from the near death experience. Whatever it was, she could no longer keep consciousness.

"Masaki, wake up Masaki!"

_Masaki… Masaki… Anzu…_

**X, X, X,**

I heard someone calling my name. I am sure it was a man. I could not see his face though. It seemed so long ago when he was calling my name. Who was it though? Was it Yugi, Mokuba… or could it have been Set… Kaiba?

Anzu's eyes fluttered open. She was in an unfamiliar room, furnished with expensive items. The windows and the French doors leading out to the balcony had dark blue curtains drawn over them to prevent light from entering. The carpeting was white and the walls were the same as the curtains. The bed was soft yet firm at the same time. The covers were warm and soft too. Anzu pushed them off her and noticed she was not in her normal clothing. She was in pajamas. Pajamas she had once before worn. Her body was bandaged up from all the wounds she received. It reminded her how sore she was.

Just then, the door opened and Anzu gasped. She could not make out who was entering the room until she saw the light turn on. It was Mokuba. He was wearing a red t-shirt and jeans, his feet bare. A smile crept on his face as he saw her awake. Instantly he let out a cheer and ran over to the bed, jumping on it. He instantly hugged the girl, his tiny arms holding her closely.

"I am so glad you are awake." He cried. "Seto said you would be okay but you were asleep for two whole days!"

_TWO DAYS_, Anzu thought bewildered. Mokuba began to explain things that have been going on but Anzu was more concerned on how she got here. Everything was a blur to her.

"You fainted and Seto had to carry you out of the building before it burned down. We brought you here and had a doctor and the maids clean you up and check you over. Are you hungry? I can get you some food." 

"No, I'm fine." She insisted. "I'm still a bit weak though." 

"Well okay but just call, there is an intercom next to your bed if you need ANYTHING!"

Anzu ruffled his hair and smiled. Mokuba looked at her and then hugged her again.

"You didn't have to save my cards. I could have bought new ones." He let her go and hurried out of the room.

Anzu watched him go and smiled. She leaned back in the bed. It was all so much to absorb. She wanted to leave. Staying here was foreign to her. Not to mention what her friends and family were thinking. Did they know she was here even? She got out of the bed but her legs ached greatly. She carefully walked, using the bed to support her. Her clothes were lying clean and pressed on chair. She picked them up and was about ready to change when she saw a shadow next to her. 

"Leaving so soon?" She turned around to see Seto, something she regretted. Anzu felt her legs give away, causing her to fall. He grabbed her by the arms and supported her. She looked up at him almost embarrassed. What Mokuba had told her rang through her head. He carried her out of the building. Then she remembered he was the one who pulled her up before she nearly fell to her death. Her heart began to beat frantically.

"You are not well, get back into bed you fool."

"I am going home!" she squeaked. "My family and friends are worried."

"Don't worry, I told your parents where you are and as for your friends, Yugi is handling that. Stay here and rest up. I'll have the chef make you something light to eat."

He pushed her toward the bed. Anzu sat on the bed and looked up at him. He was dressed in a black shirt, the button around the collar undone, showing off some of his chest. He wore dark blue jeans and black shoes. His hair was astray as if he had not combed it yet.

"Thank you for protecting Mokuba," He said suddenly. "Stay as long as you like until you are better."

Anzu felt her heart do flips. Why was it doing that? No, it could not be. 

"I saved Mokuba and you saved me. I guess we're even."

"I was not going to let you die there. Do you actually think I am that heartless?"

_He looked so exhausted_, she noted and frowned.

"I'm sorry… You... look tired. I think you should get some sleep." 

"I was busy… err doing work."

Why is my heart pounding? I feel so flustered. It cannot be. No way, I cannot believe this.

"Did you watch me?"

"I made sure you got the best medical attention… Anyway, get to sleep you idiot. What were you thinking going after Mokuba's deck? Are you stupid? You could have died! You would have to be a complete idiot to do that. I could buy Mokuba as many cards as he wants." 

_I do not care that he is making fun of me._

"If it weren't for him we would have lost. I had no deck. I felt like I should have returned them to him."

"You really are stupid. I have work to do. Soup will be up in an hour." With that the CEO began to exit the room.

"Kaiba!" She called out stopping the CEO. "Thank you for saving me." Her heart began to beat faster, her face becoming red.

_Do I… no, it cannot be!_

"Whatever," And he left.

_I cannot like Seto Kaiba!_

**X, X, X,**

**Author's note**- Hi everyone, sorry this one took so long to update. It is hard writing a Yu-Gi-Oh story when you have dueling in it. Especially, when you do not know many cards other than the ones I currently have and from the show (Which is not much). However, I hope you people enjoyed it and **PLEASE LEAVE A REVIEW!** I love hearing from you. The next chapter will be up when I can get it up. Thanks and have a nice day.


	13. Passing of Time

**Diclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh**

**Melting the Ice  
Chapter 13- The Passing of Time**

_It seems like just yesterday I was sleeping in the guest room at the Kaiba  
mansion. The bed alone would have taken up nearly my whole room. I sighed.  
But that had been over a month ago. Now, November is almost done with and  
soon it would be Christmas... and then spring. I should be able to forget,  
however I just cannot shake this feeling. It get flustered, nostalgic even  
when I think about it. I'd felt so happy and contented during those few  
short days. They had been too short. Kaiba had treated me like a person- an  
individual, and not like some lower being. He looked so tired. I cannot  
believe he took care of me. It made my heart do somersaults and I can't even  
begin to understand why. _

Afterward, however, he became distant as he originally was. He is my BOSS  
after all. I assume he was just repaying me for saving Mokuba. Even though  
it seemed to go back to normal; Yugi keeping my secret, Mokuba still feeling  
a bit loneliness but doing better in school, my other friends still being  
kept in the dark about this... And Kaiba, well, he went back to work as  
usual. Yet, for me, I find myself wanting to see him. I don't get it but I  
really do. Even if it was just for a second I'd have been glad if he'd  
notice me. I guess maybe it was that something that I was longing for.

What I still don't get is why my heartbeat quickens. I tried so hard to  
tell myself that I could not possibly have THOSE kinds of feelings for him,  
could I? Well, maybe a little- just a little, minute and they barely  
matter. I guess he isn't the person I thought he was. He did save me; risked  
his life and all. No, there is no way I can think he is heartless anymore. He  
probably just has his moments. Sometimes, I wonder how anyone could act like  
how he does. At times, he seems like a nice person but at others, he can be  
a complete and utter jerk. Sadly, I think I am starting to like him more and  
more as I think about it. Whoa there Anzu, get a hold of yourself. THIS IS  
SETO KAIBA! He is currently your boss, but that does not erase the fact that  
he is Yugi's greatest rival. He'd duel the poor guy to the ground if he  
could. This is all too confusing. I need to clear my head.

Oh yeah, Christmas is going to be coming up soon. I have to get gifts for  
the guys. Shoot, what can I get them? All the money I earn now is going to  
my dancing so something fancy is out. Unless, if I ask Kaiba for a raise he  
might take pity on me. Oh shut up Anzu, Kaiba would fire you in a heartbeat  
before he gave YOU a raise. Okay, so I guess I can make them something.  
Jeez, I swear with everything so tight I might as well find another job so  
that I can make ends meet here.

CRIIIIIIIING!

The sound of the bell woke Anzu from her daze. She had been sitting at her  
desk, staring off into space. While everyone was rushing out of class to go  
home for the weekend, Anzu was still trying to regain consciousness. She  
gathered her books in a neat pile and headed towards her locker. She  
gathered everything she would need for the weekend and then placed on her  
warm winter jacket, scarf, and gloves. She exchanged her school shoes with  
black snow boots and was about to head out the door when she caught sight of  
Yugi.

"Hey Anzu," He cheerfully called. He smiled gently at her; the millennium  
puzzle was slightly hidden under his dark blue jacket. Yugi wore a hat  
covering his multi-colored hair, except for one chunk of blond sticking out  
from underneath.

"Have a nice day today," He smiled. "Maybe this weekend we can see a movie?"

"Yeah maybe, say Yugi, is there anything in particular you want for  
Christmas?" Anzu asked bluntly.

Yugi felt his cheeks burn slightly. Would Anzu really go out and get him a  
gift? He did not care if it was a stupid pencil, he would treasure any gift  
she gave him. However, Yugi noticed Anzu waiting for a reply but could not  
think of anything he would want. Figures, whenever someone asks you  
something you never know the answer but later on, you do. Yugi smiled and  
gave her a simple response.

"Oh, anything will be fine." Yugi grinned.

Anzu gave him a distraught smile. "Oh, well okay," she replied scratching  
the back of her head. She then spun around and headed out of the school,  
knowing she had to pick up Mokuba soon. As Yugi stood there, watching her  
run, his cheeks became redder. However, unknown to him, a certain two individuals  
had heard the whole situation. They would most definitely NOT let the  
moment pass. A loud-mouthed blonde crept out from behind the lockers and  
gave his friend a slap on the back, effectively surprising the said friend  
out of his wits.

"Looks like Anzu has a crush on you!" Jonouchi snickered. Yugi looked up at  
Jonouchi and Honda, embarrassed.

"She does not," He protested. "She was just being friendly." Yet, deep  
in his heart, he knew the truth. He actually hoped that she did.

"Of course she likes you; she asked you what you wanted for Christmas!"  
Honda added. "She wants to get you a good gift. Most people don't ask, they  
just get them something."

Yugi shook his head and yet pondered on the thought. Did Anzu really like  
him more then a friend? The feeling made him warm inside. He packed up his  
things and hurried out the door with his two friends, the thought fresh in  
his mind.

X, X, X,

"Anzu," Mokuba whined impatiently. "Why can't we go to the arcade or  
something?"

"I'm sorry Mokuba, just let me get some things first and we can go. I  
promise." The cerulean-eyed girl called out.

The two were inside a small arts and crafts store. Mokuba was leaning  
against a stand while Anzu went up and down an aisle, collecting needed  
materials. Since she could not very well spend a lot of money on gifts for  
her friends, she decided to make them gifts. Of course, she did not expect  
them to like it or even get her anything in return. It was the thought that  
counts, right? Mokuba watched her, his expression pure boredom. She was  
picking up different colored yarn and placing them in a basket along with  
two needles, and a book on how to knit. The girl looked over the yarn she  
selected wondering if they would be a good choice. The colors she held in  
her hand were green, red, purple, orange, pink, white, and yellow. She never  
thought it would be so hard to pick a color. It wasn't just a matter of  
picking green. There were light green, dark green, lime green and so on. It  
was the same for every other color and so she found herself having a  
particularly hard time.

"COME ON ANZU!" Mokuba complained. "By time you finish, I'm going to be old  
enough to go alone!"

Startled by his outburst, Anzu turned to him and held out the yarn. "Fine  
then, help me find the right color for my friends!"

Mokuba looked at all the yarns lying on the shelves and looked back at her.  
"Are you making something for Yugi, Jonouchi, and Honda?" He asked to which  
she nodded in response.

He looked at each color briefly and then in a few seconds he held three  
different colors. He held them up to Anzu, arching an eyebrow, wondering if  
his choices were acceptable. The three colors were red, purple, and green.  
Anzu blinked wonder why he choice those colors. As if he read her mind,  
Mokuba explained.

"Red is for Honda, green is for Jonouchi, and purple is for Yugi," he  
stated. "Can we go?"

Anzu sighed and could not help but smile. She placed the yarn in her basket  
as Mokuba happily rushed to the check out line. As Anzu was about to leave  
the aisle she bumped into a shelf knocking down a blue yawn. Gingerly she  
picked it up, and looked at it. It reminded her of Seto's eyes. WHOA, did  
she just think of Seto Kaiba? No, no she was just having a fluke like the  
last time at his house. Where she was sleeping and he was watching over her.  
She did not like him. No way, how could she like that creep. He was her  
BOSS! She placed it back on the shelf but hesitated. Quickly she grabbed it,  
placed it in her basket, and then hurried to the check out line where Mokuba  
was waiting.

After nearly running half a mile after Mokuba to the arcade, the two were  
running around playing every game in sight. Mokuba loved the shooting games;  
blasting zombies and watching their decapitated heads roll around. Mokuba  
shot quickly not losing a life but Anzu needed to use her tokens to stay in  
the game. After beating the game easily, the two sat down in a racing car  
game, to which the two were equal in contest. On purpose however, Anzu would  
crash her car into Mokuba and vise versa. The two laughed loudly as the game  
ended, their virtual cars a smoking heap.

"What game should we play next?" Mokuba pondered a loud. It was as if he was  
the only one in the arcade. The place was packed full and lines were  
everywhere. This made Mokuba moan, he hated waiting.

"You know if your brother is so rich why not tell him to make you an arcade  
in your mansion?" Anzu asked.

"Oh we have one," Mokuba said. "But I beat them all and Seto ordered some  
new ones. He's probably going to sell the old ones."

Anzu nearly fainted. Did she see his arcade ever? She could not recall after  
all his house was so huge she could barely remember how to get to Mokuba's  
room and she been there for how many months? She started sometime in  
October but oh well it was not that important.

"Anzu, let's go play that fighting game!" Mokuba tugged on her sleeve.

"Okay, okay just let me get some more yen out for tokens. I ran out."

Mokuba pulled out several tokens from his pocket and handed them to his  
nanny as if it was nothing. Obviously, he did not want to wait. He rushed to  
the vacant game and popped in a token. Anzu followed and the two began  
battling each other.

After the arcade, Anzu and Mokuba stopped and got hot chocolate before  
heading back to the mansion. Mokuba sipped at the steaming cup topped with  
whip cream. He enjoyed it as he watched the TV in the limousine. Right now,  
it was some cartoon that Mokuba was excited about watching. Anzu was looking  
over her newly purchased book. It did not seem too complicated. Perhaps,  
when Mokuba was doing his homework she would be able to begin on her  
presents. She looked at the yarn and realized if she wanted to finish them  
in time for Christmas, she would have to work on it whenever she had spare  
time. Just then, she noticed a brochure lying on the floor of the limousine.

Picking up, she examined it and noticed a picture of the Statue of Liberty  
on it. Then a thought hit her. Was Seto planning on a vacation to New York?  
She face fell from its content smile to a frown. Mokuba and Seto were lucky.  
They could go to New York or any place they wanted with a snap of their  
fingers. They had enough money to throw away in useless junk. If Seto wanted  
Chinese food from China, all he had to do was ask someone to fly over there  
and it would happen. If he wanted fine furnishings from France, he would get  
it in no time. Anzu didn't have that luxury. She had one bright spot though.  
She was working as a nanny for Seto Kaiba. One of the most powerful and most  
influential men in Japan.

Anzu let out a sigh, louder then she intended to. Mokuba looked up from his  
cartoon and noticed the longing look in her eyes. Oh, that's right. Anzu had  
always wanted to go to New York. This was something she had dreamt of doing  
ever since she was a child, he remembered her telling him in vigor.

"Oh hey, I forgot I left it here." Mokuba snatched the brochure. "Too bad  
it's not going to be that fun. Seto is going their on business all during  
Christmas. I am going too but he said I could go on tours and stuff, with  
the bodyguards of course. New York is supposed to be a really dangerous  
place now." He laughed off nervously.

"Sounds like fun," Anzu said. "Oh um... here we are."

After day dreaming so long about New York, she did not notice, they pulled  
up to the magnificent mansion. Even now, it was still breathtaking. It  
seemed bigger than she remembered it. Instantly the chauffer exited the  
driver's seat and opened the door for them. Mokuba jumped out and Anzu  
followed him up the steps to the main hall. Ready and waiting were two maids  
ready to take their winter garments and hang them.

Whoever would marry Kaiba would most definitely live the life of a princess.  
She would be able to do whatever she wanted whenever she felt like it. She would be  
free to go wherever she felt like going. She would have everything she could  
possibly want and need. Yet, somehow, something still felt lonely about  
this mansion, about this life.

"ANZU!" Mokuba called from the top of the stairs. "What's taking you so  
long?"

Anzu snapped out of her daze and noticed her coat, hat, gloves, and shoes  
were discarded until she was to leave the mansion. She hurried up the stairs  
after the younger Kaiba. After getting half way, she noticed the doors under  
the steps open and Seto walked past, brief case in hand and his trench coat  
swishing behind him. Anzu stopped and stared at him and could feel her knees  
begin to shake. She gripped tightly to the banister and her heart began to  
race. Time seemed to stop now; she could hear nothing but her heart pounding  
in her ears.

"SETO," Mokuba called.

The aloof man looked up and noticed his little brother and his nanny. He  
looked over at Mokuba- who was waving happily to see his brother home  
earlier than usual.

"Are you leaving again?" Happiness was short lived though. Mokuba had  
spotted the brief case in tow.

"I'll be gone for an hour or two. After that, Mazaki I need to speak with  
you." His voice penetrated her like an arrow. It was back to normal, cold  
and uncaring. Yet, fear arose in her. What was he going to talk to her  
about? What could she have possibly done wrong? His eyes glared up at her  
like blue ice.

Seto left, the doors of the mansion closing behind him. Anzu stared at the  
door briefly and then continued up the steps to Mokuba.

_WHAT COULD I HAVE BEEN THINKING_? She thought. He sounded so mad and he  
looked angry with me. Yeah maybe it was a fluke that he was nice.

Anzu and Mokuba got to his room and started on his homework. Anzu assisted  
him when needed, but as he did that, she began to knit her gifts. She  
followed the directions but it seemed harder than she expected. With her  
tongue between her teeth, she worked hard.

Mokuba looked up at Anzu curiously.

"Why are you making... whatever you're making?" He asked.

"Christmas gifts." She responded. "I don't have enough money to buy  
expensive gifts because I'm saving up for a dance school."

"Oh. What are you making?"

"Scarves. They seem easy enough I guess."

"Why do you want to go to a dancing school?"

"It's my dream to go to one. This one here in Japan. Many people who  
graduated from there went to New York and became stars. I was accepted but I  
do not have enough to pay for it. That is why I am working but if my school  
found out, I would be kicked out. It is against school rules for  
after-school jobs."

"Anzu, what do you want for Christmas?"

"Huh? Oh, it is not important what I get. It is the thought that counts  
really. What do you want for Christmas Mokuba?"

"I know what I want and Seto will get it for me. He always knows somehow."  
Mokuba grinned. Perhaps screaming "I want it" when he saw the item on TV was  
a big hint enough for Seto though.

"What about your brother? Do you get him anything?"

"Well, it isn't a walk in the park, getting a present for Seto. I used to  
get him some duel monster cards because that's the only thing I know he's  
very much into. I'm not too sure whether he actually finds use for them but  
I guess, like you said, it's the thought that counts."

Just then, there was a knock on the door and a maid entered. She said, Seto  
was home and had called for Anzu. She gulped and placed her things back in  
the shopping bag. She hurried behind the maid to Kaiba's office, to which  
she still could not remember the way. After following her through the long  
hallways, she ended up at his door, a lump forming in her throat. She  
knocked with her knuckles. His voice was cold as it told her to enter the  
room. Meekly, she slid inside and walked up to his desk.

"You wanted to speak with me?" She managed to say, however nervously.

"Mazaki," he growled. "I require you to work on December 22nd to January  
3rd."

"Christmas? I have to watch Mokuba on Christmas; he will be devastated if  
you're not here on Christmas you know."

"He will be with me on Christmas," Came his impatient reply. "Shut up and  
let me explain. I need you to watch him while I am on business meetings. I  
require your assistance."

"Hey, I have plans for the holidays too you know!" She said angrily.  
Actually, she did not, but she hated how he was trying to forcing her to do  
this

Seto pulled out a paper from his desk drawer and held it out to her. Anzu  
took it and noticed it was a brochure for New York, like the one she saw in  
the limousine. She looked up at Seto utterly confused. Why was he handing  
her a brochure to New York? Seto looked at her and rolled his eyes, annoyed  
that she did not understand.

"Are you that dense?" He gritted. "I want you to go to New York to watch  
Mokuba."

Anzu stood their speechless. Before she realized what she was doing, she was  
nodding yes to go. The very idea of her going to New York made her  
dumbfounded. She walked out of the room staring at the brochure.

"I'm going to New York." She said staring in disbelief.

X, X, X,

Author Note- Ah, sorry about the LONG wait. I did not mean to but school and work were getting busy. Luckily, I was able to type this up on my break and have me some turkey! Anyway, I will get the next chapter out as soon as I can. Take care.

Princess of the Knight


	14. False Thoughts

**Melting the Ice  
Chapter 14  
False Thoughts  
**

"I'm going to New York!"

Anzu squealed as she hugged the brochure to her chest. She was on her bed, still unable to believe her good fortune. Her dream was coming true, well, somewhat anyway. She was finally going to New York. How long had she dreamt of going there and becoming a professional dancer? Since she was a little girl. Now, thanks to the one person she- had least expected to get the help from- she would finally be able to see the place for real. Anzu stared at the pictures of New York Skyline, the Statue of Liberty, and all the exciting places they were bound to visit. Sighing in content, she leaned back against her pillow and placed down the brochure. The feeling was overwhelming. However, it did cut into her deadline.

It had been over a week since Kaiba had given her the good news. It was December and Domino City was covered in a blanket of snow, covering the trees, ground, streets and the rooftops. The weather became extremely cold making it hard to go outside and walk to school. Anzu sighed, staring out the puffy white flakes. Winter seemed so long and it had only just begun.

Anzu picked up her knitting needles and began to work on a scarf. Sprawled over her white comforter, were her books, yarns, and the brochure. The young girl was dressed in her pale pink pajamas, puffy white slippers on her feet, and her hair wrapped in a towel. Her radio was on, playing a soft melody that was filling her room.

_I wonder what the guys will think, she thought. Well Yugi more or less. he actually knows I work for him but Jonouchi and Honda have no idea. If they did find out, they would probably get angry with me. They might even call me insane for working for Seto. KAIBA, KAIBA, KAIBA! Get it through your head Anzu, Seto is what Mokuba calls him. And you're most definitely not Mokuba._

Just then, she noticed her little tantrum caused her to make a mistake in her knitting. Anzu groaned and undid it. Luckily, she did not keep knitting past it. If she had, she would have done all the work for nothing. Pulling the yarn apart, she looked at how much she had already done. It was only about one forth of the way finished. Letting out a slight groan, she continued to knit.

_'I have to get these done and wrapped in three days.'_ She finished Yugi and  
Jonouchi's scarves and now was working on Honda's scarf.

"I wonder what I should pack," She pondered. "I guess casual will be good  
since I'll be with Mokuba the whole time. I wonder if we'll get to go sightseeing."

She stopped knitting and began giggling again.

**X, X, X,**

Yugi took a deep breath, as he dressed for school. He was staring in the mirror as he buttoned up his white dress shirt. The spirit of the millennium puzzle appeared at his side. He noticed Yugi's far away look as if he was out in space. Blinking, the spirit called out to his partner, as he placed on his blue blazer backward.

"Yugi," he called out to get his attention. Yet, the young boy did not even come out of his daze.

"Yugi!" he tried again. Yugi strolled around his room to get his blue dress pants. The spirit watched him as he put the wrong leg in one of the pant legs. Fed up with his partner not listening to him he walked up to Yugi and shouted the younger boy's name.

"YUGI!"

Finally, Yugi came out of his daze. He noticed the spirit was rather annoyed with him. Yugi however, could not help it. He had been lost in his thoughts the past few weeks.

"Is something wrong, partner?" Yami asked, obviously worried.

"Oh, no. I was just thinking about something." Yugi answered.

"About what? Tell me."

"Well," Yugi blushed. "It's about Anzu. I think. Well, I mean Jonouchi and Honda seem to believe that she likes me. She asked me what I wanted for Christmas and. oh this is silly! Anzu is just being nice because we are friends."

Yugi did not want to deny the fact that Anzu could possibly like him more then she let on. He wanted it to be true. The fact that he liked her was one of the reasons why. His feelings for the curvy brown haired girl were genuine. Since he knew Anzu was going to give him a gift, he got one for her too. It was contained in a small box, wrapped in dark purple paper and tied with white ribbon around it. He spent much of his money to purchase the item, but when he saw it, he knew it would be perfect for her.

"Perhaps, she does like you." Yugi's other half suggested.

"You don't think she... No…. she likes me as a friend. Just as a friend." He did not want to get his hopes up. Pushing the thought away, he went to the door to leave when the spirit cleared his throat.

"What?" Yugi asked.

"Are you certain you wish to go to school dressed like that?"

Yugi looked down at himself and was mortified. Quickly undressing himself and redressing himself, he headed for the door this time ready to leave. Yet, the spirit once again cleared his throat.

"What is it now?" Yugi whined.

"You like Anzu, I can tell."

"WHAT? Of course not. I mean, I do like her. AS A FRIEND! That's it."

"Why not invite her over for Christmas then?" He suggested.

"No, Anzu is probably going to be busy anyway."

**X, X, X,**

At school, Anzu was busy scribbling down notes for the homework. Time was running so much faster, it would seem. She felt so rushed now that she had more than one task to complete before her trip. She had them listed mentally in her head: Pack, get a camera, finish all her schoolwork, finish her homemade gifts, help Mokuba study for a math test, and figure out how to tell her friends she would not be around for the holidays. She already spoke to her parents about it and they were somewhat upset. That was until she told them she would not have to pay for airfare or a hotel. However, how could she break it to her friends? Than again, how could she tell Yugi she was going with Seto Kaiba? It was not as if she was going with her family for a vacation. She was going with someone who despised Yugi so much.

Maybe Yugi won't mind, she thought nervously biting into her pencil.

_'Well its not like it is any of his business if I go or not but it does seem awkward. Not like, I am going to spend anytime with Se- Kaiba!'_ She caught herself and mentally yelled. _Why do I keep calling him that? Not like he ever refers to me as anything but my last name._

Just then, she noticed her teeth biting her pencil hard, leaving teeth marks in it. She forced herself to stop but it was a habit. What did she have to be nervous about it anyway? Letting out a soft sigh, she returned to writing down the rest of her notes.

From right next to her, Yugi casually turned to look at her. His purple eyes strayed over the nervous brunette, cheeks burning red in the process. The vertically challenged boy could sense her nervousness and wondered what had made the girl so flustered. When Anzu turned slightly, feeling his gaze burn into her, he turned away. He knew now his cheeks were bright red but he could not help it.

"Is something wrong?" Anzu mouthed to her friend.

Yugi felt his heart skip a beat. The way she cared for him was enough to make him melt. His feelings for her were strong. Yet he had no confidence. What if she rejected him and laughed in his face? That was his main worry, that his own feelings would not be returned.

"Nothing," he whispered back.

**X, X, X,**

After Anzu left school to go pick up Mokuba, Yugi stood at his locker exchanging his school shoes for his snow boots. A small frown fell upon his face, wishing he had the courage to ask Anzu to come over for Christmas. He would give his gift to her then too. He knew she would love it the moment she opened it. Well, at least he hoped she would. Yugi let out a groan and leaned his head against his longer.

"Something wrong Yugi?" Jonouchi's voice came from behind.

The shorter boy looked behind to see Jonouchi standing with on hand in his pocket. He casually ran his free hand through his blond locks, making them unruly.

"Not really," Yugi admitted.

"What's up?" Jonouchi pressed on.

"It's nothing, never mind," Yugi wanted to avoid spilling his rather embarrassing secret.

"I bet I know what it is!" Jonouchi snickered.

Yugi gaped, not sure what to make of his friend.

"You were staring at Anzu all day! So, why not ask her out on a date?"

Yugi turned beat red from the mere thought. He had no courage to ask her to come to his house for Christmas. How could he possibly ask her out on a date?

"Believe me Yugi, she likes you."

"I'm not so sure; maybe she is just being nice to me. What if she doesn't really like me at all? What if she laughs in my face for even thinking we could be more than friends?"

"What if she doesn't?" Jonouchi questioned. Yugi looked at him feeling his cheeks burn. He never really thought of the fact that Anzu could like him. After all, she was his childhood friend. They got a long pretty well. How could she not like him? What did he have to worry about? Yugi was a nice person and they enjoyed each other's company. Perhaps she would say "yes". What did he have to lose?

**X, X, X,**

Inside the warm spacious Kaiba Mansion, Anzu and Mokuba were both sitting in the younger boy's room working on the math homework. All over the floor was Mokuba's school clothes, sprawled and wrinkled. He changed into a warm yellow sweater and jeans. Anzu was still in her school uniform, but was comfortable in the warm room. As the younger boy did his problems, Anzu continued her knitting.

"Yes, you got it right!" Anzu congratulated Mokuba when he finished the last of his practice test for math. Mokuba beamed as he placed his pencil down and closed his book. He felt he could ace the next test in a heartbeat. Now he just wanted to relax with some mindless fun. After all, he did not want to overload his brain and forget everything he learned. He began to run around his room, pacing back and forth trying to find something to do. He threw his video games on the floor to find one to play but he grew tired of playing them. Next, he jumped on his bed and began flipping through the channels trying to find a cartoon to watch. Nothing was on. Mokuba let out a grown as he turned off the TV and dropped the remote carelessly to the floor. The younger Kaiba brother began to pace again, moaning and groaning. Anzu was still knitting her scarf.

"Anzu," Mokuba whined. "I am so bored, can we go do something?"

Diving to the floor, he looked up at her with his innocent eyes. Anzu stared at him from over her knitting and sighed. She could never say no to his face. Placing down her things she nodded, to which Mokuba cheered.

"Well, what should we do?" Anzu peered out at the winter wonderland.

"Let's go sledding," Mokuba said running into his walk in closet. He began throwing out a warmer jacket and clothes. Anzu watched him come out of the closet covered in winter attire and a sled in hand. Not just some child's sled but some very expensive looking custom made sled. If that was even possible, then again with Kaiba anything was possible.

"Did your brother buy you that?" Anzu asked.

"Yeah, he got it for me. It was only a fifty thousand yen, give or take a thousand."

"FIFTY THOUSAND YEN?" Anzu nearly fainted. What did she expect? Kaiba was rich and he was the type to show off his wealth. It was somewhat like an in your face arrogance that annoyed her. Kaiba had money and he was going to show it off just so he could like higher then others.

"Your brother doesn't buy cheap does he?" Anzu asked staring at the board.

"Well, this was also imported and not to mention custom made just for me," Mokuba began to ramble on all the qualities of the sled but Anzu just stared wishing she could have money to burn even more.

After telling her the features, Anzu got back into her winter attire and the two headed into the backyard of the Kaiba grounds. Anzu stared hard at the large trees growing throughout the yard. The evergreens were frosted with snow. The pool was covered with a large plastic cover, now sprinkled with snow.

"Mokuba," Anzu wondered. "Where are we going to play in your backyard? It's all flat."

"We have to walk down this path to the back, its hilly over there." He pointed his gloved hand to a shoveled stone path leading through the gardens. Mokuba led the way through the dead garden. All along, she saw marble fountains, now turned off, expensive statues, and stone benches through the path. When they reached the center of the garden, Anzu stood in awe before a monstrous fountain, made of white marble. In the center was something she did not expect at all. It was three angels. The center one had her arms stretched out to the heavens, her wings outstretched behind the others. Her head was tilted up, unable to see her face. The one on the left knelt down to her knees, her hands clasped together, praying. Her wings were folded behind her. Her gentle face bent forward, eyes clothes. The final one was crouched slightly forward, wings stretched out behind her. She had a gentle, warm face, which was odd. One of her hand held onto the pedestal, while the other stretched out of over the water as if urging Anzu to take it.

Anzu stared for a long while until she felt Mokuba tugging at her sleeve. The young boy looked at her as if asking her what is wrong.

"Um, what's with the angels?" Anzu asked.

"Oh. Um well, I don't know. I guess Seto liked it. Come on Anzu let's go sledding already!"

Anzu nodded, and followed the boy through the garden to the back where the hill was.

**X, X, X,**

Later that evening Seto Kaiba returned home tired and in need of a good night's sleep. As he walked into his private office, he dropped the briefcase on his desk. He turned the desk light on, feeling a headache coming on and knowing the bright light would aggravate it. As he pulled out his leather chair to sit down, he looked outside and noticed the yard lights on. Wondering what was going on, he stepped over to the balcony window and peered out. In the distance, he saw two figures sledding down the hill at tremendous speed before slipping over on the side, and tumbling into the snow. Seto instantly knew who it was, and he was furious. It was freezing outside.

"What could that idiot be thinking?" he growled as he left his office, slamming the door behind him. He rushed through his house, knowing the fastest way to the backyard, since he memorized the layout of his own house. Ignoring the cold wind striking through him like a knife, Kaiba followed the stone path that Anzu and Mokuba had taken. Once passing through the maze that was his garden, he found the two laughing and throwing snow at each other like children. Seto watched, noticing the happiness in Mokuba's eyes, and it was genuine. The last time he had fun was a long time ago, a very long time ago. Shaking off, Seto approached them.

"What are you doing out here?" He demanded, furiously. "Mokuba, get inside this instant." Mokuba gulped as he saw his brother glaring daggers at Anzu. Without hesitation, he grabbed his sled and hurried past him. Seto stared at Anzu, sitting in the snow after being clobbered by a snowball from Mokuba. When Seto believed Mokuba was out of earshot, Seto approached her.

"Are you a complete idiot?" He asked. "You are playing out in the freezing cold. Mokuba could get sick and obviously, you would not know anything about it. You are completely irresponsible."

"I am irresponsible?" Anzu growled. "Look at you; you aren't even wearing a coat out here. You could get sick too you know."

"Don't try turning this on me," His voice cold. "You are completely incompetent."

Anzu felt hurt but took his hateful words until he was done. When he was, he turned and headed for the gardens. Anzu tried her best to shake off what he said to her, it did not matter because he did not fire her. Seto walked in a brisk pace, making it hard for Anzu to keep up since she was now realizing how cold she really was. As they walked, Anzu felt her knees begin to shake perhaps she was too cold.

"Hurry up," Seto urged. They arrived in the center of the garden where the angel fountain was. Anzu stopped for a moment and looked back at the fountain. Seto noticed her slacking and was about to yell at her again when he noticed her staring at it.

"It's beautiful," she muttered "I was actually surprised. I was thinking it would be a huge Blue Eyes White Dragon or something." She let out a small pathetic laugh, trying to lighten the mood. However, it did not seem to work. Her shoulders slumped slightly as she turned to continue.

"It's called 'Heaven's Tears' because when the fountain is on it looks like the angels are crying." Seto was staring at the three angels, now covered in a thin layer of snow. His eyes were transfixed on the one who was stretching out her hand. Anzu looked at him in shock. The hard look on his face, the eyes staring up at the angels was not normal for him. Even when he was dueling, his eyes were never like that. There was only one time when he looked like that she could ever remember. That was when he looked at Mokuba. That was when his eyes were soft.

"Something wrong Kaiba?" Anzu asked trying to sound normal.

"No nothing, we have to get back it's late and I have still many things to  
do before the trip."

"Oh yeah, the trip," Anzu had, for a moment, forgotten about the trip to New York. Her mind was set on Seto Kaiba. His eyes seemed so intense. His voice traveled as if he was not even really thinking about when he was saying. They stood in silence until a harsh winter wind through snow at them.

Suddenly he turned away, his hand coming up to his shoulder as if he was in pain.

"Come on, it's freezing out here." He said in his usual ice-cold tone.

"Yeah, it is cold." She admitted solemnly.

**X, X, X,**

Above the Kame Game Shop, Yugi was dressing himself for school. It was now or never for him. He finally had come to the decision to ask Anzu to his house for Christmas. He made a special invitation himself. It had a Christmas theme to it, and he placed it a bright red envelope and sealed with a candy cane sticker. It took him a long time to write the invitation. He wanted it to sound perfect, not geeky nor desperate. Inside, on the paper decorated with Christmas lights, and holly he wrote:

_Dear Anzu,_

I would really enjoy it if you would come to my house for Christmas dinner.  
If you are not busy, please come to my house at 7:00. I cannot wait to see   
you.

Yugi

Okay so he admitted the letter was not perfect and it was short and to the point but this was the first time he invited someone to his house for a special occasion. In his mind, he pictured Anzu opening the letter and wanting to go so much. She would happily say "yes" and be waiting for that day. Then on Christmas Day, she would come to his house dressed up and looking pretty and he would give his gift that still rested on his desk. Then perhaps after she opened it she would give him a gift in return. Of course, he knew Anzu was going to give him a gift but maybe he would give her a kiss under the mistletoe. The mere thought made Yugi turn tomato red but he could not help it. It was obvious to everyone, except maybe Anzu, that he liked her. Yet, he never got the courage to tell her or ask her on a date. Now because of all his other friends' pushing he found his courage to ask her.

Yugi finished dressing and placed the Millennium Puzzle around his neck. The golden pyramid swung against him, around the long metal chain. After a repeated check in the mirror, he placed the invitation in coat pocket, tucking safely within the folds.

"I'm ready to do this, I can do this, I will do this," he said sternly into the mirror. After grabbing his backpack, he walked down the hardwood floor, down the stairs and placed on his shoes.

"BYE GRANDPA!" Yugi called out when he finished tying the laces. After rushing out the door, he hurried to the bus stop to catch the bus to school. As he waited, he kept trying to find the right way to ask Anzu.

"_Anzu here. Please read this_." _and then I would hand her the letter. He thought mentally. On the other hand, maybe I just place the letter in locker. No, then she might think I am too embarrassed. On the other hand, maybe I should just mail it to her house. Oh, man I do not know if I can do this!_

Yugi began to get nervous until he felt a comfortable feeling from the spirit telling him it will be okay. The bus ride to school felt like the longest time in his life. Yet the closer he got the more nervous he began to get. In his mind, he kept repeating not to get nervous and just play it cool. Once he arrived, he took a deep breath and filed behind the people rushing to get out of the cold. As he stepped into the hall where the students' lockers were, Yugi saw Anzu taking off her coat. Suddenly all his courage evaporated and instead of going toward her, he hid behind another set of lockers. He peered over as Anzu took her time getting herself ready for the school day.

"HEY YUGI!" Jonouchi and Honda called out loudly, causing the boy to jump.

"SHH!" Yugi said, placing his index finger to his lip.

"What's wrong?" Honda asked, "Why you shushing us?"

"Oh hey, there's Anzu!" Jonouchi said a bit too loudly. "Did you ask her yet?" Yugi grabbed onto him and pulled the two boys around the corner.

His shoulders scrunched up to his ears, he had lost his nerve. "Guys, I can't do this."

"Do what?" said Anzu, who had heard the ruckus. Yugi jumped a high, frightened by this. The guys all grinned as Yugi turned beat red.

"Do you guys mind if I talk to Yugi. Alone?" Anzu eyed Jonouchi and Honda. The two snickered, and elbowed Yugi's sides. The whispered for him to go for it and then hurried out of to give the two peace.

"SO what DID you want to talk about?" Yugi squeaked, perspiration sliding down his neck.

"I want to tell you something," She said.

"So do I," he piped up. Inside his pocket, his hand clutched the invitation. He would do it now and get it over. She was in a good mood. They were friends. Why would she not want to go to his house for Christmas? Yugi felt his courage returning.

"You go first," Anzu said with a smile.

"Oh, no you first," Yugi said. Perhaps she was going to ask him something important. Maybe she would tell him she wanted him over her house for Christmas. The multicolored haired boy began to get anxious. What could Anzu possibly want to tell him?

"Yugi, I have some great news but I can only tell you." She said with a smile. Yugi gently bit his lower lip as Anzu pulled out something from her pocket. Yugi felt his heart launch itself against his ribcage. His palms were sweaty and he could not believe it. Anzu was going to invite him somewhere.

"Yugi, I'm going to New York for the holidays!" She said excitedly holding out the brochure. "I am so excited and well, the thing is I'm going with Kaiba to watch Mokuba. I know it is not going to be that fun but my parents are going to be out of town and I had no plans so I said yes. I cannot believe it I am going to New York! Oh and by the way I'm going to tell Honda and Jonouchi that I'm going out of town with my parents, so can you keep my cover?"

Yugi felt his hand clutch the invitation tightly, crushing it. His shoulders limped slightly.

"Oh and by the way here is your Christmas present," Anzu held up a neatly wrapped package. "I know it's early but here."

Yugi's face brightened as he tore open the gift and found a beautifully hand knit scarf inside.

"You made me for this." he began to ask his hopes lifting.

"Yep, I made one for Jonouchi and Honda too, I'm going to give theirs right now." She rushed past him to go find Honda and Jonouchi.

Yugi stood there feeling his heart begin to hurt. Inside his coat pocket, the invitation was crumbled under his fist. His head fell and his eyes were closed. Slowly, he took out the invitation and threw it in a nearby trashcan. He stared at the purple scarf and then without thinking threw it in the back of his locker carelessly along with his coat and things.


	15. Kitchen Snow Storm

Melting the Ice  
Chapter 15  
Kitchen Snow Storm

The winter air was cold, but not as cold as usually. The snow had melted some away but still left a layer across the ground. The trees looked barren with very small patches of snow on it. The only sound came from the wind, making the branches scrape against the side. No sounds of birds chirping or squirrels scurrying around were heard. It was very peaceful to say the least.

Anzu stood outside waiting for Kaiba's limousine to pick her up and take her to the airport. She was sporting light blue jeans, a white shirt under a pale yellow sweater, and white and pale yellow tennis shoes. Over her, she wore a warm puffy white coat, a matching scarf, a yellow hat, and a pair of gloves. Hanging off her left shoulder was a white purse. Two old, brown, worn out suitcases sat next to her packed full of all the necessities Anzu would require. She remembered to pack enough warm clothes for the trip, toiletries, some money (although she was reluctant to cut into her dancing fund), an extra pair of shoes, some books and her knitting kit just in case she got bored.

Feeling anxious, Anzu glanced at her wristwatch, wondering where the limousine was. The night before, she could not wait until she got up. The excitement made her restless until finally, fatigue filled her and she fell asleep. When her alarm clocked awoke her, she jumped out of bed and got ready quickly. It was now seven forty-five.

'Where is he?' Anzu wondered. He had said to be ready by seven thirty! We are going to miss the plane. That is unless it was some sick joke and he's actually not even taking me to New York. Oh, if it is a joke I swear I will make Seto Kaiba pay.

However, her thoughts were interrupted as a long black limousine pulled up. The chauffer stepped out; dressed in a professional uniform he approached Anzu and took her bags. Before Anzu could protest the door to the waiting limousine opened and Mokuba stepped out, running over to Anzu happily.

"Come on Anzu," He said taking her by the hand and dragging her to the car. He had a big smile on his face. The two ducked into the car and inside, Seto Kaiba was sitting on the far end of the limousine doing work.

"Hey, I thought you said to be ready by seven thirty?" Anzu directed the question to Mokuba rather then Seto. She could tell he was busy and she did not want to start a fight, even though she did not mean to. Last thing she needed was Seto throwing her out of the plane or something to that extent.

"Oh, it's not like we're going to miss the flight." Mokuba said waving it off. "Did you eat breakfast yet? We can have someone get us pancakes or waffles for breakfast on the flight over. Unless you would rather have eggs and toast for breakfast. Oh wait there is also French toast and some other stuff!"

"How could an airline have all that? Plus, what do you mean we won't be late?" Anzu looked puzzled.

"Airline?" Mokuba looked like she had grown an extra head. "What are you talking about airline; we're using the Kaiba Corp private jet." 

Anzu nearly fainted. Placing her hand over her head, she closed her eyes. A private jet was not something any person could just buy. How rich were the Kaiba brothers anyway? All the young girl knew was they were rich enough to make her head swim.

"We would have taken Seto's private jet but that is just for two people," Mokuba pointed out.

"How many jets do you have?" Anzu asked suddenly overwhelmed.

"Five," Mokuba said.

"Six," Seto corrected. "I just purchased a faster one and it will be available after New Year's." The older Kaiba brother did not look up from his work. He continued typing on his laptop, drowned in his work. The limousine took them to an airport right up to a plane. The moment Anzu pressed herself to the window to get a look at it. She soon found her mouth hanging open. It was huge!

The plane was white, with a blue stripe along the side. Above the stripe near the back end of the plane, the Kaiba Corp logo appeared in bold blue and white colors. A moveable staircase stood going up to the plain door with a flight attendant stood. The perky looking flight attendant had blond hair and ocean blue eyes. She wore a signature flight outfit but in Kaiba Corp colors and logo. The chauffer opened the door to let the three passengers out and up to the plane. Mokuba ran up the steps excitement printed all over his face.

"Hello, young Mr. Kaiba," the flight attendant's cheery voice greeted him.

"Hi, Himeno," Mokuba greeted the bubbly flight attendant. The girl looked around her mid twenties from what Anzu could guess. She had a perfect hourglass figure but the way she talked made Anzu think she was the stereotypical dumb blond. The girl turned to Anzu with her eyes wide and mouth in the shape of an O.

"Oh my, this is the first time Mr. Kaiba has ever brought another guest along on his business trips," She giggled with excitement, which made Anzu little uneasy. "Now if you need anything just call and don't be shy."

Anzu stepped inside, desperate to get away from the ever too cheery woman. She could not hear her greeting Seto in the same fashion and wondered how Kaiba could take listening to her. The young girl headed inside but the moment she stepped into the lounge, she nearly fainted again. It was absolutely nothing she had expected. The inside had two sofas on the far end corner, a coffee table, a small dinner like table with four chairs, and a movie screen with a collection of movies or television shows to choose to watch. There were small circular lights, set on dim now.

"Anzu, did you want to sit down or would rather go lay down in the bedroom?" Mokuba asked. "You look kind of pale."

"B-bedroom? You have a bedroom?" Anzu gaped.

"Well two really but Seto and I will share a room so you can have one to yourself." Mokuba offered as he took the trembling girl's hand. He led her to the sofa and she sat down still very much overwhelmed. Everything in here was practical but well furnished. The sofa she was sitting on was made of leather. There was dark plush color carpeting on the floor. Seto seemed to be a person who traveled with style. It would never be second rate with him.

Seto entered the area, and without saying, a word took a seat at the counter and went on doing his business as if he never stopped. Mokuba was peeking out the window, waiting for the plane to take out. Anzu sat her hands in her lap; her thoughts were on New York but not fully. She stared for a brief moment at Seto who was still buried in his work. Silently she shifted to look out the window as the plane began to take off. Yet, in the back of her mind, she remembered that brief moment a few nights ago. When she was out in the gardens and where the three angels ensnared Seto's eyes.

To tell the truth she could not imagine something like that being apart of the décor in the Kaiba mansion, inside or out. It seemed nostalgic the way he looked. As if apart of him was longing for something, he could not get. Now though he looked as if he forgotten all about it.

Anzu stared out at how small the world look from so high above. Soon they would be above the clouds, flying over what would look like a land covered in snow. Mokuba was already getting ready to watch a movie since the flight would be a very long time. The flight attendant brought out breakfast for the three passengers. Mokuba dove into his stack of pancakes like a wild animal. He was gobbling up several large pieces at a time with syrup dripping down his chin. Smirking, Anzu began to cut up her pancakes. Her eyes however, moved toward Seto. As the flight attendant placed his tray down, Seto did not even look up from his work.

The long flight to New York went by fast for a while until Anzu grew tired. She retired to the one small bedroom that Mokuba allowed her to have. The room was not all too big; after all, it was a plane. The king size bed inside the room even more made up for it small size. The sheets were white, the blanket beneath was tope color, and comforter was a tan with little triangular shapes on the ends. Anzu rubbed her eyes and sat down on the soft yet firm bed. Without bothering to change or even get under the covers, the young girl lay down and closed her eyes.

"Anzu! Anzu, wake up!"

Anzu awoke with a start, the clouds of fog evaporating as she awoke. Her eyes found the younger Kaiba brother kneeling on the bed at her side, shaking her. His innocent eyes looked around excitedly as he stood on the bed, with his tennis shoes on no less. Quickly he began to bounce around clapping his hands.

"Mokuba, settle down," Anzu yawned. "Why did you wake me up?"

The boy fell onto the bed, "Anzu, look out the window. We're finally here in New York!"

Anzu got up and quickly rushed to the window and saw the city below. Her eyes widened as she saw the tiny cars and people walk around. The buildings were massive and yet the place looked unbelievable.

"You can see the Statue of Liberty in the distance," Mokuba pointed out. Anzu stared in awe at the giant structure surrounded by water. A ship was setting sale toward the island. Anzu felt anxious. Her stomach felt like butterflies were inside it fluttering away. Mokuba then dashed out of the bedroom to the other room where Seto was sitting on the couch, closing his laptop. Anzu followed Mokuba and sat down on the opposite end. A few moments later, the plane landed in a secluded part of an airport. Anzu peered out the window to see a limousine already waiting for them.

"Have a pleasant stay, Mr. Kaiba," The bubbly flight attendant said as he stepped onto the moveable steps. "And you too young Mr. Kaiba, and you too, Miss Nanny."

Anzu followed Mokuba who was bounding down the steps after his brother. At the bottom there were five people waiting. One was a chauffeur and the other two looked like security guards. The other two were in dark blue suits. One was an older man, balding and with glasses on his long crooked noise. He stood tall around six feet but was lean. The second was a female, a beautiful built. She had long slender legs, a shapely chest, and a tiny face under black rimmed glasses. Her skin was a nicely tanned without a single blemish and her long soft blond locks were pulled back into a French twist. To Anzu's amazement, they also wore a Kaiba Corp emblem on their suits.

"Hello, Mr. Kaiba," The blond haired woman spoke fluently in Japanese. "I am Ms. Greene the Executive of Kaiba Corps here in New York. It is quite a pleasure to have you here. Oh and is this your little brother?"

Ms. Green smiled at him and then noticed Anzu. She looked at her up and down and then turned without saying anything. The older man smiled at Seto.

"I am the chief financial advisor Julian Carver," he stated his position. "How was your flight?"

"It was fine," Kaiba said, getting to the point. "We'll talk business later though."

"Yes of course," Ms. Green smiled. "At dinner tonight you must be exhausted after your trip. We shall make reservations at a suitable restaurant and a limousine will pick you up promptly at eight o'clock." She briefly checked her silver watch on her wrist. "It is now four, so I think that will give you some time to get settled." 

Kaiba nodded and watched as the chauffer opened the door the long black limousine. Kaiba allowed Mokuba inside first and then himself. Anzu was wondering about the luggage but followed Kaiba inside. She sat down on the right side of the limousine. She felt a sudden pressure on her head. A headache was coming on.

"What about our luggage." Anzu asked as Mokuba opened up a bottle of some juice from inside a cooler. He popped in a straw and started drinking.

"It will be at the place before we get there," Mokuba said through sips.

Just then, the car stopped and the driver got out and opened the door. Kaiba stepped out first followed by his brother and the nanny.

"So what hotel are we staying at?" Anzu asked, rubbing her temples. 

"Hotel?" Mokuba looked confused. "Why would we stay in a hotel?"

"Then where are we staying?"

"At our penthouse," Seto cut in as he jabbed his thumb in the direction. Anzu looked up and saw a large fancy looking complex. Her mouth dropped and her headache began to get worse. A penthouse was expensive. She stared up at the top, knowing that is where his place rested. Just before she could take a step, she felt herself grow tired and before she knew it, she was collapsing to the ground. 

"ANZU!" she heard Mokuba scream. The next thing she knew she felt a pair of strong arms supporting her.

"It must be jet lag. Let's get her to bed."

**X, X, X,**

A few hours later Anzu awoke, her headache completely gone. Her azure eyes fluttered open to find herself in unfamiliar scenery. The last thing she remembered was looking up at a building before she passed out. She sat up and saw a darkened room, a very large dark room. However, she could make out the colors, since it was Kaiba's penthouse. The floor was hardwood with blue rugs. The room she was in not a square but angled oddly. The walls were a soft blue. On both side of her bed were two nightstands each holding up a lamp. Across from her were two comfortable looking white chairs with a pearl color table between them. On the left side of her room was a dresser with a mirror. Along the right wall was a milky color armoire. To the left of the dresser with the mirror was a walk in closet and just across that, a room behind her bed, was her own bathroom! Inside the bathroom was a white tiled floor with ocean blue walls. Their was a large bathtub across from the door, a ceramic toilet next to it, and a stand up shower across from that. A marble white sink with a medicine cabinet stood between the door and the toilet. This room alone was easily five times or more the size of her room back in Japan.

"I'm afraid to leave this room," she muttered sliding out from under the fluffy covers. Stepping out she saw to her right a utility room. 

Nevertheless, the hallway to the left led her second bedroom that looked similar to hers but was already torn apart. That she figured was Mokuba's room. Across Mokuba's room was another bathroom, smaller that could be used for dressing. Passing those two rooms led her to the entry, the floor was still hardwood but the walls were a pastel blue. A small chandelier made of crystal hung above illuminating the spacious area. Across the entry was a room that looked like a den, but Anzu did not care to explore it now. She went into the kitchen, which connected, to several other rooms. A small island with two barstools stood decorating the ceramic tile kitchen floor. The kitchen had a oven with counter space and a metallic color fridge with all the perks. Breaking from the kitchen was a small breakfast area with a large window opening the area, and a door next to it leading to the den.

Continuing from the kitchen was a larger dining table with a grand chandelier hanging over it. It looked like fine crystal and silver. Moving through to the next room was the living room. In the corner was a grand piano, white not black as most. It seemed to be a theme of white and blue throughout all of Kaiba's homes. The couch was a sectional a blue color with a stand holding a ceramic blue eyes white dragon like lamp. Seto must have had them done personally. In the center was a marble table with a glass top. In the corner was a Television, a big screen with everything. Connecting into the living room were two French doors with the curtains pulled over it. Anzu believed that was the master bedroom. Strait ahead of Anzu was a large window that led out to a large terrace.

Anzu was about to explore more when someone tapped her. Anzu let out a scream and turned around to see Mokuba.

"Hey, I was playing video games in the den." He said. "How are you feeling?"

"I'm okay… uh Mokuba how did I get up here?" Anzu felt the butterflies return.

"My brother caught you before you fell and took you up to your room." 

Anzu could feel her cheeks burn. Seto had once again helped her out. Well then again I guess he did not want her to hit her head and get a concussion. It was better than having to pay medical bills. Anzu shook her head.

"Where is your brother now?" she felt nervous to ask him.  
"Dinner," Mokuba said. "Remember with those business people. Anyway, what do you want for dinner? We can order out."

"Um how about we make something?" Anzu pondered, walking to the refrigerator. She opened up the door to see the inside was full of food. Most likely Seto had someone fill it up for him a day or two before his arrival. Anzu brought out several different ingredients for what she would think would be a delicious meal. Mokuba hopped onto a bar stool and watched Anzu chicken, onions, butter, and other condiments.

"What are we making?" the young boy questioned.

"Chicken Makhani," Anzu replied. "I need an apron." She looked into a pantry and discovered several hanging. She placed one on, looked over at Mokuba, and threw him one. "You can help me. I need to make basmati rice and naan bread with it."

Mokuba placed one on and pulled back his long hair in a ponytail, for obvious reasons. The two began to cook away. Anzu chipped the white onion, her eyes tearing up as Mokuba added teaspoons of certain ingredients into a bowl. Just then, Mokuba saw Anzu crying. "Are you okay?" he asked worried, to which Anzu smiled and nodded. It was just the onions anyway.

Soon the whole kitchen was filled with the delicious aroma. Mokuba could feel his mouth water as Anzu stirred the food on a skillet. As Mokuba watched the meal simmer, he got a clever idea forming in his mind. Since they were making dinner, it would only be wise to have desert afterward.

"Anzu, can we have desert?" Mokuba pleaded.

"Of course," Anzu placed the food on a plate for her a Mokuba. She set the leftovers aside. "How about fudge brownies?"

"YEAH!" Mokuba jumped up and down. Anzu smiled and handed him a plate and the two sat at the dining table, their aprons still on. When they were done eating the two started on their sweet desert.

"Mokuba, get some flour from the pantry," Anzu asked as she preheated the oven. Mokuba did as he was told and took out a big package of flour. He set it on the counter and opened it up. He looked at the recipe book and noticed it required two thirds cup. He stared at the ring of cups and found one that said the right amount. However as he grabbed the amount he needed he accidentally knocked the heavy bag over on the floor, some of the powder hitting his side.

Anzu burst out laughing noticing half of Mokuba was white. Mokuba made a face and then took a handful and threw some flour at Anzu hitting her in the face.

"Mokuba!" Anzu yelled. She grabbed a handful and threw it at him. The two began going back and forth throwing handfuls of flour. Soon the kitchen looked as if a blizzard went through it. Mokuba and Anzu looked like snowmen themselves. However, they could help but laugh at how they looked. The two sat on the floor cracking up until their sides ached. When the laughter died, Anzu sighed and hugged her knees to her chest.

"I guess we should clean this place up before your brother comes back and kills us." Anzu sighed getting up.

"Maybe if we stand really still he won't see us," Mokuba joked.

After dusting the flour away, the two brushed off the flower from their hair and went to wash up. After coming out of her shower, Anzu was dressed in pale yellow pajamas and a white bathrobe, which was conveniently inside. She walked back into the living room to find Mokuba sitting on the couch watching TV.

"So how about we go sightseeing tomorrow?" Anzu asked.

"That be fun," Mokuba agreed. "I want to go to the Statue of Liberty." 

"Me too, and Broadway, I have to go there!"

Mokuba yawned and leaned near Anzu as she began talking about the places near her. It was not before long until she noticed the boy was sound asleep, his head in her lap. He looked completely adorable. She gently lifted him up and carried him to his room, lying on the bed. Ruffling his hair gently about to leave when she heard him mumble something.

"Big sister… Big brother..." he whispered. Anzu blushed. Did Mokuba actually think of her as his big sister? Gently she placed a kiss on his head and left the room. Closing the door behind her she went back into the kitchen only to find Seto Kaiba standing there, helping himself to some of the leftovers.

"This is pretty good," he complimented. "Who made it?"

Anzu grinned, "Mokuba and I did."

Seto looked down and placed the piece on his fork back on the plate. "I hope it's not poisoned."

Anzu glared. "How dare you, you just said it was good."

Seto snorted out a laugh. Anzu raised an eyebrow. Did Seto Kaiba just make a joke? Anzu ignored it and then rubbed her forehead.

"What's wrong with you?" Seto said rudely.  
"Oh that headache is coming back, I feel like I could pass out again." She mumbled.

"So go rest, stupid," he replied, back to his cold nature.

"Why can't you be nice like your brother?" Anzu felt emotional all of a sudden. Maybe it was the jet lag or the huge headache. Maybe it was how nice he had been to her and was now back to his cruel self that made her feel like crying. Whatever it was she wanted to smack Seto Kaiba upside the head.

"I was being nice and you come back like a complete jerk. Seto Kaiba, you are a complete and utter jerk. I swear I hope Mokuba never grows up like you. He is a good kid and you are a jerk!" Tears were forming in her eyes.

Suddenly his ice-cold eyes stared at her teary ones. "Don't worry about Mokuba." his voice was firm and he turned away.

"They way you act so icy makes me wonder if he will grow up. People need love and compassion but barely see you give that. You do not even acknowledge me… ARGH!"

She grabbed her head. The headache was pounding at her forehead. Suddenly she felt Seto grabbed her arm and begin pull her. She followed him reluctantly and set her down on the bed.

"Lie down and rest before you pass out again." He instructed pulling the covers out for her. "You are still not use to this; it takes about twenty-four hours to get over it. Probably by morning you will be okay."

Anzu without thinking looked up and said, "Why can't you be this sweet all the time."

Seto was taking slightly aback. She rubbed her temples trying to ease the pain. "If only you knew the hell I have gone through. You would understand why the hell I care only for one person."

"What was that?" Anzu asked.

"Shut up and go to bed," Seto said leaving the room.

Anzu watched the door close. She did hear Seto though. She pretended not to but she did. What kind of life did he go through? What made him become so cold and uncaring to everyone.

_'If you'd tell me I'd understand.'_

X, X, X,

Author Note- Well another chapter has come and gone. I hope you all liked it. Thanks for all the Christmas wishes (Yes I do celebrate Christmas). Thanks so much and happy holidays to all of you. Take care and please leave a review.


	16. Sightseeing

**Disclaimer- I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh**

**Melting the Ice**

**Chapter 16**

**Sightseeing**

With the jet lag finally fading, Anzu sat in her bed and stretched out. Her azure eyes stared into the shaded room, a small line of light appeared from under the door. She slipped out from under the covers, her bare feet touching the plush carpet. She stumbled into the bathroom, flicking the light switch as she went. Closing the door behind her, she stripped her pajamas from her body and turned on the water. A nice shower would feel so good. The steam began to rise in the chilly bathroom as she stepped in. The droplets slid down her sleek creamy skin. Tilting her head up, she let the water wash over her face.

Her head was fine. She was thankful for that. Perhaps today she could go and do some sight seeing. She had a camera ready just to take a few snapshots of places to show Yugi. Just then, she touched her arm and remembered. She remembered when his hand grabbed her arm and pulled her to her room. It was not a forceful or painful gesture. It was surprisingly gentle. He firmly held her so she would not slip away. He made her lie down to get some rest almost as if he was worried for her- almost.

"He thought I didn't hear him," she spoke softly to herself. Her fingers massaged the shampoo into her hair, warm water pelting her. "Whatever he went through must have traumatized him or something. I just do not believe someone could be so cold like that. He seems so gentle at times. So why is he like this? What is he hiding behind that mask?"

For a moment, Anzu stared at the shower wall. Water continued to pelt at her but it was then she made a decision. She would find out why lies beneath Seto Kaiba. Maybe then, she would understand him and he would understand her. For as long as she had known Seto Kaiba, she considered him an arrogant jerk. Yet he let his barrier down for a single moment. For that single moment, she was captured. She wanted to find the man behind the mask.

Finishing her shower, she stepped out and wrapped a fluffy white towel around her. Goosebumps rippled down her arms as the chilly air of the room brushed over her skin. She quickly dried off and after wrapping a towel around her hair, she dressed into long white jeans, a pale pink sweater, and socks. She walked around her room toward the window and opened the blinds to allow the light through. The light seeped through as Anzu stared at the city below. It was breathtaking. So many cars piled the streets, people walked up and down the sidewalk. Vendors stood on the corners selling newspapers, magazines, food and such in the cold weather.

"These people must be used to it," Anzu muttered placing her hand on the glass.

From behind, going unnoticed to her, her bedroom door was opening. A figure crept along quietly toward her. Slowly the person went, eyes fixated on her. One foot in front of the other the person went breathing quietly but heart beating wildly. Once close enough to reach the brown haired girl, his hands stretched out and touched her back.

"BOO!" 

Anzu jumped a mile in the air and screamed. Spinning around, she saw Mokuba laughing with mirth. He was grabbing at his sides and tears were beginning to come out of his eyes from the laughter. Anzu stared and grabbed the towel from her head. Her damp hair fell to her shoulders in thick chunks, clinging to her. With the towel, she took it and threw it in the boy's face, clearly annoyed. The young boy's laughter subsided and he pulled the towel off from over his eyes. 

"Your towel smells like apricot," he noted, smelling the sweet scent. 

"Yeah I brought shampoo from Japan. I thought we would be in a hotel, not a penthouse." Anzu remarked. "And most hotels give you that tiny bottle of shampoo."

She reached her hand for the towel and Mokuba handed it back. She began rubbing her hair with the towel and Mokuba watched intently.

"So what are we going to do today?" Anzu asked.

"Ah, sightseeing if you want to go," Mokuba replied. "If we go you have to wear this."

Mokuba handed a pin to Anzu. It was small and had the symbol KC on it. Obviously, that meant Kaiba Corp. observing the pin she wondered why she had to wear it. Seto had implanted a tracking device inside the pin. Of course, Seto gave Mokuba a pin so he would not become suspicious since there was one, unknowingly in Mokuba's necklace now. It seemed like Seto was not going to take any chances with his little brother's life at all.

After drying her hair, Anzu placed on a coat and some shoes. Mokuba did the same. Together, the two got into an elevator and headed down to the lobby. A fancy looking place like this one made it look like only rich people could afford too simply look at it. Anzu felt so out of place with her rather poor looking attire. The people in the lobby checking in and out or just chatting were wearing brand names, and expensive or fancy looking clothing. Mokuba even looked better than she did and he was a kid. She looked like a fish out of the water. 

"Mokuba, can we hurry please?" Anzu spoke noticing people looking at her. The young boy could see her uneasiness but did not understand why. However, the two hurried out of the grand lobby and out into the cold New York air.

"Is something wrong Anzu?" Mokuba pondered.

"Ah, I'll be okay let's get going." She insisted. Just then, her stomach let out a loud growl. "Um perhaps we should get some breakfast?"

"Good idea," the younger boy agreed. "I saw a café down the street we can go there and eat."

Anzu nodded; after all, she had no idea of any place to eat in New York. Maybe she should have bought map so she would not get lost. The two headed down the block, Anzu taking in the sights and sounds of the big apple. The people all seemed to be in a hurry, rushing around to get to place-to-place fast. Obviously, it was because it was nearly Christmas and there would be less than a week of shopping. However, from what she could tell each lamppost was decorated with lights, although in the morning light it was unnoticeable. Banners were hanging and Christmas trees were up.

"This is it," Mokuba said, jabbing his finger to a diminutive café. Anzu pulled the door open and stepped inside. It was modestly full. The floor was a tan color; booths and chairs were red and tables were a dark brown. Lamps hung from the ceiling lighting up the area. Artificial plants decorated the restaurant as well.

Anzu looked up at the counter and saw a girl with strawberry red hair. She had fair skin and green eyes. Her uniform consisted of a dark green shirt and a red apron. When Anzu approached the counter, the girl smiled. When the girl opened her mouth and spoke Anzu froze.

_What in the world, is she saying?_

Then like a ton of bricks hitting her, Anzu remembered a tiny detail about America. The native language was ENGLISH! The girl looked at Anzu waiting for her to order but the brunette had no idea what to say. 

"Can I take your order?" The girl asked. Anzu opened her mouth but nothing came out and the girl behind the counter was beginning to get annoyed.

"We want pancakes with syrup and milk," Mokuba spoke fluently. 

"That will be six dollars and forty three cents," she replied.

Mokuba pulled out several American dollars and handed it to the woman. Anzu stared, impressed by the boy. She never knew he was fluent in another language. Then again, she did not know that much about him as she thought. After receiving their order, the two sat down in a booth and ate.

"I did not know you could speak English," Anzu spoke, pouring syrup on her pancakes.

"Oh, well Seto and I both do. You see when you work with other countries you have to know other languages. Seto knows German, French, and English (obviously), a little bit of Spanish, Chinese and so on. It is good for him to know the languages. That way he understands business deals so no one else is cheating him."

Anzu nodded and then something hit her again. Mokuba knew a lot about Seto. Maybe, just maybe she could ask him what made Seto Kaiba the way he is. Well if not at the moment, perhaps later. After eating, the two stepped out and headed down the bustling sidewalk. Shops lined the streets and Anzu could not help but glance inside to see the hot new styles. Mannequins in the windows showed off conservative, sexy, and professional clothing. Mokuba looked bored as Anzu slowly walked so she could look at the clothing. What was it with girls and browsing so much? The thought crossed Mokuba's mind but he sighed and kept the thought to himself.

"Oh wow, those dresses are gorgeous!" Anzu gaped pressing her hands against the glass. Two mannequins stood in the front window, feathers blanketing the floor beneath them. The dummies were dressed in gorgeous evening gowns. One was a halter cut dress that was velvet royal blue color. The dress then fell down to the feet spreading out slightly in the back. The dress hugged the mannequin's curves showing off the stunning dress. The second dress had long sleeves and extended longer on the left side, exposing off the mannequin's right leg. The collar was buttoned with a sliver clasp in the back showing off a bold deep cut, showing off some cleavage and shoulders.

"Yeah they are five hundred dollars," Mokuba noted and then realized Anzu did not know the money exchange. "That is a little bit more than fifty eight thousand yen."

"What… that much?" Anzu stared in disbelief.

When I am a famous dancer, I will wear clothes like that. Anzu thought. 

"Hey Anzu let's go see the Statue of Liberty," Mokuba said, desperately not wanting her to drag him into a store.

"Yeah, I'm getting depressed looking at this." She laughed. "Let's go!"

**X, X, X,**

"The meeting went very well Mr. Kaiba," Ms Green spoke as she and Seto Kaiba left the meeting room. "I assure the new plans to build your dueling arenas here in New York will be well underway in no time. Next on the agenda, there will be a press conference at two-thirty, lunch will be afterward, and tomorrow will be the banquet."

Seto listened as his executive spoke. They traveled down the lavishing Kaiba Corp building. The floors were polished marble with a long white carpet covering it. The walls were dark blue, windows had white blinds allowing in the light from outside. In the ceiling were lamps hanging down lighting the way as well.

Seto snorted as the banquet the next day came to mind. Celebrating the new development of a dueling arena here in New York did not seem that pleasing to him. Not to mention tomorrow was Christmas Eve. It would be a miserable time since he would be stuck with people who would try to sweet-talk him. After all, Seto was rich and these people knew if they were in with him, they would get rich too. He hated those fakes. For once in his life he wanted to meet some real someone who was not like the rest of these pathetic money-grubbing penny pinchers. They would do anything, step on anyone, just to fill their pockets. Of course, Seto was similar to them but the only difference between him and them was he was doing it for someone else. He was making sure Mokuba would have comfort and safety. He would never let anything bad happen to his brother. Not so long as he lived.

"You should bring your little brother," Ms Green said. "It would look great for your image." She tossed back a blond lock that fell in her eyes. Of course, how someone acted and looked in the public eye was a big way for success.

"Fine," He said rather reluctant.

"Oh, and you can bring that maid with you."

"She is Mokuba's nanny," Seto corrected.

"Whatever, if he needs her there… she isn't really needed anyway. I could watch after Mokuba and you can give her the night off."

Seto gave her an icy glare. The CEO did not just trust anyone with Mokuba's safety and he would not trust her with it. He then turned away without another word. He hated these business dinners more than anything.

**X, X, X,**

"Oh, the view is amazing," Anzu said, looking down from atop the Statue of Liberty. Mokuba stood next to her and looked across the water at the city. The snowy banks, the sun's reflection looked so pretty. It was as if someone had painted a picture. After staring nearly five minutes, the two tore themselves away and went toward the gift shop where most of the other people who came to see the Statue of Liberty were. People were scrounging around looking for gifts to bring back their families. Out of the corner of her eye, Anzu spotted a foam crown like the one the statue wore. Picking it up in her hand, she slid behind Mokuba and crowned him.

"Huh? HEY," yelled Mokuba. Looking up, he then placed his hands in the pose of the Statue and said, "Maybe they'd make one out of me?" 

"Ask your brother and he'd probably build one back in Tokyo," joked Anzu.

Mokuba laughed and took the crown off. Coolly he fixed his hair and then nodded to the door. Since the ship would be embarking soon, they decided to make their way down. Back on the boat, the two stood outside in the frosty air.

"Maybe we can have some hot chocolate when we get back," Mokuba said. The young boy pulled his collar up to cover his bare neck. Anzu nodded. She hugged the boy to her, trying to block out any wind from making him cold.

When the two got back to shore, they headed for Central Park. There they got themselves two large hot chocolates with the itty-bitty marshmallows inside. Mokuba took a big sip of his cup and regretted it.

"OOH HOT!" he said holding his tongue out. "No wonder they have warning labels on things."

"Yeah, hey let's take a ride on that horse and carriage!" Anzu pointed over to a person giving rides. "It looks fun and a nice way to relax and see the park."

Taking his hand, Anzu pulled Mokuba toward the black carriage being lead by a single white and grey horse. The man driving it was a Caucasian, with snowy white hair and gentle green eyes. He wore a black jacket and a red scarf around his neck. A sign next to him red out in English: RIDES: $10. Mokuba paid, because ten dollars to him was pocket change. The two sat in the back where they covered there legs with a thick blue blanket. Once settled the man snapped the reins and the horse slowly began to move. Moving around central park, they saw people walking around, some couples talking about things, holding shopping bags, and just having fun. The park walkway was clear of the snow but the grass was blanketed with it. The tree branches were covered in them.

"This is fun, too bad Seto is busy," Mokuba said staring at his cup.

"I would hate to work on the holidays." Anzu piped up. "Maybe we can get him to take time off on Christmas so he can spend time with you." 

Mokuba smiled. "That would be awesome… Hey what about you? I want to spend Christmas with you too, Anzu. I really like spending time with you and not just because you are my nanny."

Mokuba began to blush, making him look so adorable. Scratching the back of his head, his ebony locks flying, the boy gave her a small smile. 

"What is it?" she questioned.

"I like you Anzu," Mokuba confessed. "You are like a big sister to me and I like you a lot. If Seto isn't working on Christmas I want him AND you to spend it with me!"

Anzu felt her heart go out to the boy. She then leaned over and kissed him one the forehead, as a mother did to her child. Mokuba felt his face burn but then being his childish self began rubbing his forehead. 

"ANZU!" he whined, to which Anzu snorted out a laugh.

"Speaking of your brother," Anzu said after her laughter died. "He really cares for you, you know?"

"I know!"

"I was just wondering if… does your brother… does he hate me?" 

Mokuba looked puzzled. "What do you mean hate you? Seto does not hate you. Well at least I don't think so." The boy mumbled the last part. 

"Oh, I just thought… never mind. Mokuba is your brother always been the way he is. At times, he just seems so cold like ice that I feel like he is going to slap me or something when I do something wrong." 

"No, Seto never hit a girl. He would hit a man if he tried to hurt him or me though. Seto is very smart and a good judge of character really. I do remember when Seto and I were little we use to play a lot but then when we were adopted… I did not get to see him much. When I did, he became the way he is. However, I still love my brother. He is a good person just that I remember him telling me not to trust people." 

"Why is that?" she could not fathom why Seto would tell someone. 

"Because he said, people hurt other people worse then just hitting and kicking."

Anzu grew quiet and turned away from Mokuba. At that moment, Anzu believed the simple thing that was keeping people out of Seto Kaiba's heart was something much bigger than she anticipated.

**X, X, X,**

Seto returned to his penthouse around eight o'clock that night. Unlocking the door he stepped in, greeted by a darken hallway. Flicking the ivory color light switch, the mini chandelier in the hall turned on. He slipped off his dark blue trench coat and placed it over his right arm. He headed past the kitchen and into the dining room. He could hear the TV from that room. When he entered the living room, his eyes saw Mokuba standing on the couch with a game controller in hand. Anzu was sitting next to him, reading a textbook she brought with her. Since her teachers so nicely gave her homework over the holidays. Mokuba was jumping across the cushions of the couch, acting like the action hero in his game. The boy was dressed in jeans, a yellow and orange striped shirt, and white socks. Anzu was in the outfit she wore all day.

"Mokuba," Seto called out to his younger brother. The young boy dropped his controller and spun around.

"SETO!" Mokuba screamed happily, jumping over the couch and to his brother. 

"Get dressed, you and I are going out to dinner tonight," he said. 

Mokuba jumped for joy as he headed to his room to change. Anzu closed her book, set it on the glass coffee table, and looked at Seto. She smiled at him genuinely nervous. Being in a room with him for some reason made butterflies flutter in her stomach.

"You have the night off," Seto stated he then headed into his bedroom. 

"Ah, thanks…" Anzu said not sure what to say. She headed into her bedroom, which was on the other side of the penthouse. She walked into the dark room, turning on the lamp on the nightstand. She had a whole night off. What could she do? Obviously, she would not go sightseeing especially alone at this time of night. She was a girl and the way people made New York sound at night, was NOT her cup of tea. Sighing, she headed into her suitcase to look for some more textbooks. Looked like her homework would be the only thing she would be doing tonight. She took out all the books and groaned. This was not her idea of a holiday vacation. As she finished emptying her suitcase of all her books, she noticed a package inside.

"Oh!" She took it out and realized what it was. Hurrying from her room, she headed into the younger Kaiba brothers room. Inside she found the boy placing on his coat. When he saw her, in the reflection in the mirror he turned around and smiled. He was excited to be hanging out with his brother.

"Here Mokuba," Anzu handed him the package which was wrapped in red paper.

Pondering on what it could be Mokuba carefully unwrapped the rather light package. Inside, wrapped in white tissue paper, was a blue scarf. Anzu looked slightly embarrassed to be giving him that gift but what could she do. She did not have enough money like his brother to afford him a nice gift.

"Sorry, it's nothing special." Anzu looked away.

"It's wonderful!" Mokuba chimed. "I needed a scarf anyway. Thank you so much Anzu."

Mokuba ran and hugged her tightly. Anzu smiled and embraced the boy. Next, she took the scarf and wrapped it around him. The soft material proved to be warm. She followed the young boy out into the hallway where Seto was waiting. Seto looked at his brother, eyeing the scarf for a moment but then turned his attention to the nanny.

"We'll be back late," he instructed. "However, tomorrow there is a Christmas Eve party. You are invited unless you'd rather spend tomorrow alone."

Without another word, Seto turned around and left the penthouse with Mokuba at his heels. Anzu stood there dumbfounded. Seto Kaiba invited her to another fancy rich people party?

_This is so cool_! Anzu thought excitedly. _But, I don't have anything to wear. I did not pack anything fancy to wear. Anzu let out a loud groan and slumped to the ground. Great now everyone can see just how poor you are Anzu. Great, just great_!

**X, X, X,**

**Author Note- **Sorry about the long wait but I do hope you enjoyed this chapter. When I get some time I can begin writing chapter 17, which I believe you people will like. Anyway thanks for reading and please leave a review.


	17. Cinderella's Dance

**Disclaimer- I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh**

**Author Note- Brackets is when the characters are speaking English to one another.**

**Melting the Ice ****  
****Chapter 17 ****  
****Cinderella's Dance ****  
**

_Nothing, I have absolutely nothing decent to wear. Great; if I didn't look poor before, I'll really look like a homeless person now. How can I go to a fancy party wearing casual attire? Sweats, jeans, sweaters- I don't even have a nice blouse or skirt to wear. This is not good. _

Anzu had thrown all her clothes on the bed. She could not find anything near decent to wear nor could she buy something new since she did not have that much to spend. Slumping down, she let out a sigh. She had to face it. She was not going to the fancy party after all. Getting up, she refolded her things neatly and placed them back into their respective drawers. Finishing, she flopped down on her bed and let out a heavier sigh.

_At least he asked me to go_. She tried to cheer herself up. For some reason, this was bothering Anzu more than she thought. It made her heart ache almost to the point that she would cry. It startled the girl that she had suddenly become like this. She flipped over and buried her face in the pillow. She wanted to sleep this off. 

_Yeah, as soon as I fall asleep I won't feel so weird. I must be tired. Yeah, that's it, I'm tired so that explains why I'm getting cranky. I need sleep and when I wake up, I'll be good as new. I'll be the same old me_. She wished it were true.

As she pulled on the covers, she tried to force herself to sleep. She turned on her side, then on her back until she kept making a full circle. Sleep was not going to be easy tonight. It was not even late. Racking her brain, Anzu tried her best to find some solution to her problem. After several long hours, she heard the door to the penthouse open. She could hear Mokuba's cheerful voice. However, it was muffled so she was unable to hear his exact words. Wondering for a moment or two, she was about to get up and listen in but thought better of it. Closing her eyes and letting out a long heavy breath, Anzu began to drift off to sleep.

Outside in the penthouse hallway, Mokuba was holding a long white box in his hands. He was looking up at Seto, who was taking off his trench coat. When he was done, he took the gift from Mokuba and watched him undress from his coat. Seto eyed the scarf Anzu had knitted him. A cheap gift was what first came to mind but it was, nonetheless, a thoughtful one. Mokuba was enthralled with it for some strange reason. It was a stupid scarf; he could have bought one for him in a second.

"Will I see you tomorrow before the party, big brother?" Mokuba asked. 

"I'm afraid not. I'll be busy all afternoon. I'll send a limo to pick you up." He stated. Mokuba grimaced but what could he do? His brother was a busy man after all.

"Okay then, good night Seto," Mokuba said bounding to his room, after taking the box back from him.

"Good night, Mokuba,"

**X, X, X,**

Anzu awoke around eleven the next morning, astonished she had slept that long. She wondered where the younger Kaiba brother was and why he was not jumping on her bed. Perhaps he was still asleep as well. Getting out of bed, she stretched a bit and headed out to see whether there was any left over food to eat. She decided to peek into Mokuba's room to make sure he was okay. However, before she could she heard a sudden sound of cars racing. It looked like Mokuba was busy playing video games.

Trotting to the living room, she saw the boy once again playing a racing game. Leaning over the couch, she watched him affectionately and noted how innocent he looked. After he crossed the finish line of whatever game he was playing, he began jumping up and down screaming excitedly. Anzu gently tapped him on the head, getting his attention.

"Oh, hey Anzu," he said looking up at her. "Did I wake you up?"

He tossed the controller carelessly on the floor and stood up on the couch to talk to her.

"No, I just woke up," Anzu shook her head.

"Oh good, do you want to eat breakfast or do you want lunch because I am hungry."

Mokuba bounced off the couch and to the kitchen then straight into the refrigerator. Anzu came up behind him, hovering over him to see what would look good to eat.

"How about chocolate cake," Mokuba asked, eyeing a big piece.

"You can have some after lunch. Let's make burgers!"

"Oh and fries too!"

The two began getting out everything they needed and together began to cook. Soon the house began to fill with the aroma of burger steak. Mokuba watched anxiously as they cooked, practically drooling at the sight. Anzu felt her stomach growl; she, too, could not wait for the food to be finished. Right now, that cake was getting tempting. Yet the two held it out and when the food was done, they sat at the dining table and ate. As she ate, she watched Mokuba gobble up quickly.

"Mokuba, slow down or you'll choke!" True to her word, Mokuba ate too fast and had to drink nearly all the soft drink in his cup to wash it down. He heaved a sigh of relief as well as Anzu.  
"See, eat slowly." Anzu sighed.

Mokuba grimaced. He hated that "I told you so" look she had on her face. Wanting to get off the subject of him almost choking to death he decided to talk about the party.

"I can't wait for the party." He said.

Anzu let out a sad sigh. She had to break the news to Mokuba. How could she go to a fancy party looking like what people would probably think, a pauper?

"I'm not going," she finally said.

"But why?" he asked eating a French fry. "You have to come!" 

"Mokuba, I can't go. I will be laughed at completely. I do not have a dress to wear or anything fancy looking at all. As stupid as it sounds, I am going to stick out like a sore thumb."

With that said Mokuba leapt off his chair and left the room. Anzu waited for him to return, pondering what he was doing. Just then, he came back with a box and handed it to her, his face slightly red.

"Here, it's an EARLY Christmas gift," he squeaked.

Anzu looked at the boy, who was slightly embarrassed yet anxious for her to open it. Pulling off the cover, she placed it aside and shuffled through the art paper. Upon seeing what was inside, her mouth dropped. She took hold of the item and stood up; the box fell to the ground. In her hands was an ice blue dress similar to the one she saw when she was window-shopping. There was also a pair of matching shoes.

"Mokuba, this dress is amazing." However, the surprise vanished into a frown. "I cannot accept this dress, it must have been expensive." 

"But we bought it for you to wear." Mokuba protested, snatching the box away when she tried to place it back. "It IS a Christmas gift." 

"Mokuba I can't accept this!" Anzu explained. "I gave you a scarf that isn't even worth half a yen to this… wait a minute, what do you mean _'we bought this for you'_?"

Mokuba arched an eyebrow. "Seto and I bought it for you. When Seto told you to come to the party we realized you probably did not bring a dress."

Anzu stared at the dress in her hand. It was so soft that it had to be made of satin. The color was pretty and she had to admit it would look good on her. Looking up at the boy who now threw the box in the garbage to make sure she would not try to place it back and return it to him, she felt tears brimming in her eyes. Never in her entire life had someone spent so much money for her.

"I have to get ready for this party," Anzu muttered, still in shock. 

"Why do girls take so long to get ready?" Mokuba complained.

"So a girl can look pretty."

"But you're already pretty. Oh whatever, I'm going to go play video games."

**X, X, X,**

After showering, Anzu dried her hair and styled it so that most of it was on top of her head in a twist. Several strands curled down, caressing her face. She then applied makeup; a light shade of eye shadow, some rouge, and a touch of lipstick. Next, she placed the dress on. The satin dress clung to her curves perfectly, showing off her voluptuous body. The dress was strapless and was low, to show off the swell of her breasts. The dress came down to her ankles, with a high slit to the thigh. Anzu placed on the matching shoes and looked at herself in the mirror.

The satin blue glinted in the evening light reminding her of water rippling. For a moment, the out-of-place nanny looked like Cinderella ready for the ball. She hardly recognized herself, and she assumed that not even her friends back in Domino would either. Anzu touched her throat, wishing she had some jewelry to wear but she did not have anything to go beautifully with this dress. Finally tearing herself away from the mirror, she noticed how late it had already become. Stepping out of the room, she found Mokuba already dressed in a cute tuxedo perfectly made for him.

When he looked up and saw Anzu, his mouth curved into a smile. She looked like an angel who stepped out of heaven or a princess from a fairy tale.

"You look pretty Anzu!" said Mokuba.

"Thank you," Anzu said slightly embarrassed.

"The limo will be here soon."

Anzu nodded and placed on her coat while Mokuba slipped on the scarf that she had given. Mokuba looked incredibly adorable with the little bowtie he had on. Once they finished getting on their winter attire, the two stepped out of the penthouse and headed for the elevator. 

**X, X, X,**

"How do you like the party, Mr. Kaiba?" Ms. Green said. The young blond haired woman was dressed in an emerald dress that was low cut and backless. She wore high heels, to show off her long legs even more. Her hair was curled in a wavy fashion making her look incredibly beautiful.

"It's the same ones I have back in Japan," Seto muttered. Ms. Green had linked her arms with the CEO, introducing him to top executives here in New York that he should become allies with. He did not care about any other CEO or important person here, and furthermore, he was disgusted with this girl clinging to him. However, she was one of the reasons Kaiba Corp. was so big in the U.S.

"Are you enjoying yourself Mr. Kaiba?" it was Julian Carver.

Seto remembered him from when he landed here in New York. Gritting his teeth and pulling his arm away from Ms. Green, Seto straitened his tuxedo.

"To say the least," his gruff cold voice said.

"Where is your brother? I thought he would be joining us this evening." Julian asked.

"He will be here any moment with his nanny." Kaiba responded.

Ms. Green let out an inelegant snort. She pictured Anzu coming in looking as poor as she did when she met her on the plane. She began to chat some more with Julian and Seto when a murmur went through the crowd. Phrases such as "She is gorgeous", "She is Japanese isn't she," and "she looks very elegant" spread across the room. 

Curious to see who was being talked about Ms Green and Julian began to peek through the crowed. At first Seto did not even care to think what was going on when he noticed the person out of the corner of his eye was none other than Anzu, being escorted by Mokuba. Mokuba looked adorable and was getting several comments as well but he could see why Anzu was receiving so many. The way she looked, no one would have thought of her as a nanny.

"Who is she?" Ms. Green said with envy.

"I don't know," Julian replied.

"She's my brother's nanny."

As Anzu stood with Mokuba, many of the men began to come over and compliment her. Mokuba had to translate for her. Anzu felt her face turn red with the nice things people were saying. Several of the men wanted to dance with her when the music began to play. The young girl, feeling rather shy, did not know what to say since she could not speak a word of English. Several of the men were heads of other companies. Anzu felt nervous all of a sudden when one man with jet-black hair and brown eyes clasped her hand. He was in his late thirties but very dashing and debonair.

Anzu looked up and let out a gasp as he placed a kiss on her knuckles. Anzu felt her face burn, but this man was not someone from Kaiba's company. He looked vaguely familiar as well. Anzu wanted to tell him thank you but she did not know how to say it in English. Yet, what happened next surprised her.

"I must have the first dance with the most beautiful woman here," he spoke in perfect Japanese. Mokuba, who was at the girl's side glared at him.

"Isn't it past your bed time, kid?" He said in English, knowing Mokuba spoke it well.

"You can't dance with her, Kaido!" Mokuba growled defensively taking Anzu's hand. "I'm going to dance with her all night if I have to!"

Anzu stared at the two, wishing she knew what they were talking about, but the only thing she could understand was the name Kaido, which was a Japanese name.

_Kaido, Kaido. Where did I hear the name before_? Anzu thought. Racking her brain as the two argued Anzu remembered something similar to this scenario.

"Mr. Kaido… the corporation that is neck and neck with Kaiba Corp," Anzu remembered. She had seen him before when she went to a party at the Kaiba mansion. This man had flirted right before Kaiba cut in and dragged her away. Anzu let go of his hand and noticed Mokuba's grip had tightened enough that it would take a lot to pry him off her. 

"I see I made an impression with you," he smiled at her. "Please allow me one dance."

He let out his hand once again to take her hand. Anzu had her hand against her chest, not sure whether to accept or not. What harm could one dance do? Yet she remembered the cruel way Kaiba treated her when Kaido had tried to ask her name last time. His brown eyes were locked to hers though and with his suave manner, he could easily sweep any girl off her feet. She removed her hand from her chest and would have accepted the dance finally had not another hand interjected, taking hers.

"This lady is going to be dancing with me!" The voice was cold and demanding. No one would have said no or even tried to object to that voice. Anzu looked up and saw Seto firmly holding her hand. His other hand slipped gently around her waist, guiding her away from Kei Kaido. Mokuba released his hold on Anzu's hand and was guided away by Julian. Everyone in the room watched as Kaiba escorted Anzu to the dance floor.

"What is going on, Kaiba?" Anzu whispered, feeling all eyes on her. 

"You are about to dance with the richest man in this room," he said turning in front of her.

He placed his hand on her waist, but never did his eyes meet hers. Anzu could feel her heart beat wildly. The music played and Anzu, who did not know that much about Kaiba could not believe what, was happening. The CEO was dancing. No, he was not just dancing like a regular person; he was dancing as if he had done this before, many times even. He led her across the dance floor elegantly and very light. Most people who did not know how to dance had poor posture, were very heavy on their feet, and stumbled. However, Seto Kaiba was good. 

Anzu looked up at Seto, who was not making any eye contact toward her. She felt herself turn red. Never in her life did she ever think she would be dancing with SETO KAIBA. The closeness between them was a paper-thin. Any more and she would be right against him.

"You are a dancer, right?" Kaiba whispered in her ear.

"Yes," Anzu confirmed.

He then twirled her around and then let her go, stretching out his arm until her hand stopped her from leaving him. He pulled her back, continuing their dance. He even dipped her not once but twice and then when the song ended, he twirled around and stopped her with her back to him. Anzu felt her heart pounding a mile a minute. She took a deep breath trying to regain control. She still could not believe what just happened.

Seto released his grip on her waist and led her off the dance floor, with several people watching in awe, many women. Anzu followed like a dog on a leash, not sure what to make of anything. Seto found Mokuba at Julian Carver's side.

"Wow, you dance so good Anzu!" Mokuba exclaimed.

"Bravo Mr. Kaiba, you were a splendid spectacle." Julian spoke in his native language, since his Japanese was not as good.

Seto nodded and then turned to his brother, who was eyeing Anzu with an odd look. Seto looked over at Anzu and noted that she looked incredibly uncomfortable.

"What's with that face?" Kaiba asked, "Looks like you swallowed an insect."

Anzu's eyes were directed to her side. Seto followed the direction and then noticed why she was uncomfortable. He still had not relinquished his hold on her hand. Quickly he dropped it but remained in his dignified manner. Seto had mingled a little while longer before he became agitated with the guests.

"In any case, we will be leaving. Mr. Carver, give Ms. Green my regards." Seto looked over at Mokuba and then he walked off, his head held high in the arrogant manner that Anzu had always seen on him when he walked around school. Mokuba nodded his head to follow, and Anzu did. After retrieving their coats, they went outside to the awaiting limousine. The ride to the penthouse was silent and so was the walk to it.

Once arriving home, Seto instructed Mokuba to go to bed and he did. Anzu returned to her room and she assumed the older Kaiba brother would be in his room. Flicking on the light switch, Anzu was about to change when she noticed her suitcase lying open. Going toward it, she lifted a small package wrapped in Christmas colors. After taking a deep breath, she thought now was as good as time as any.

Leaving her room, she held the package and headed past Mokuba's room. She could hear him playing in his room as she passed. Passed the dining room and then into the living room, she saw the two French doors closed. She could not see into them and it looked like the lights were off. At first, she thought Seto had gone to sleep already but it was only a minute after they had parted so it was rather unlikely. She wanted to knock on the door but thought better of it. She did not want to pester him since he seemed aggravated for some reason. Letting out a sigh, she turned to leave when she heard rustling coming from behind her. Turning around she saw the balcony doors were slightly open and Seto standing out there, leaning over the railing. 

_I did not even notice him_. Anzu thought. Gripping the package tighter, she touched the French doors leading outside and pushed it open quietly. However, it was not quiet enough because the moment she did the CEO's head snapped toward her, startling her.

"I didn't mean to scare you," she apologized.

"You scare me? Give me a break, Mazaki." Seto replied.

"Sorry," 

"Quit apologizing, it's incredibly annoying," he growled. "Get to the point what do you want?"

Anzu felt as if butterflies were fluttering in her stomach. Her hands gripped the package but she could not bring herself to look into his cold blue eyes. She held up the package, her head facing down. 

"Merry Christmas, Kaiba." She said. Anzu expected him to throw the package back at her or even start laughing. Perhaps she even expected him just to stare at her. Yet when she felt the weight of the package leave her hands, she looked up. Anzu watched as he carefully tore away the paper revealing a blue knit scarf. It was similar to the one she had made for Mokuba. When he did not say anything, Anzu wished she did not even give it to him.

"Yeah, I know it's not anything special but I can't afford something extravagant," Anzu tried to make a joke but found herself unable to laugh. At the moment, all she could think about was why she gave that stupid scarf to him. She waited for him to throw it in her face or laugh, practically anything but he did not respond.

"By the way, Mokuba yelled at me for saying this but I can't accept this dress." She turned away feeling embarrassed. "I'll work it off watching Mokuba so I guess the next few checks will go right to you…" She grinned ruefully.

"Mazaki, when someone buys you a gift you don't pay them back." Seto sounded annoyed. "Just think of it as a Christmas bonus and keep it. Not like that money was much of a loss anyway."

Anzu bit her lower lip. Seto still did not say anything about the scarf. Just then, she noticed a snowflake fall down. Looking up, she saw several begin to fall. Turning her head, she saw the lights all over New York shimmer under the now falling snow. She walked over to the edge of the balcony and looked at the scenery.

"Thank you for inviting me to New York, I always wanted to come here and someday I want to study dance here." She said this for no reason, but she hated the silence between them. It made her uncomfortable since her friends were always so chatty.

Seto did not say anything; instead, he stared at her bare back. The dress he and Mokuba selected was perfect for her. Somehow, when he was at the shop and when Mokuba made him come inside, he figured the blue would be a much better color on her. It did match her eyes. His fingers brushed over the soft material of the scarf. He walked over to stand next to Anzu and he spoke, which was rather surprising. 

"You should go inside," he said softly. "Its cold and I don't need you catching a fever or something." Anzu turned to the CEO and stared at his profile. He was so intense as if he could never smile. His eyes never met hers again that night but Anzu nodded in agreement. She turned around and walked toward the door. Seto turned his head slightly and watched her open the door and walk inside. When the sound of her heels died, he looked down at the scarf she knitted for him. Without really watching where he was going, he walked into his room, folding the scarf as he went. Once he made a nice square, he placed it in his suitcase.

**X, X, X,**

**Author note-** Well, here is some cuteness between the two. Nothing too big but then again I do not see Kaiba being nice. I am trying not to get too cliché here and keep Kaiba in character but also show a side he does not normally show. Also, I'm making Kaiba be very knowing in subjects because he is a businessman and as the story progresses you'll find out why he has so many hidden skills. I also am not making Anzu super smart like it most fanfics because I do not see her being a genius and knowing English. Anyway, I hope you people liked this chapter so please leave a review.


	18. Confessions

**Disclaimer- I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh**

**Melting the Ice ****  
****Chapter 18 ****  
****Confessions**

Anzu felt like an idiot. How could she have given Seto Kaiba a stupid handmade scarf? She had been regretting it since the moment she had returned to her room that night. Now it was only a few days later. In fact, it was New Years Eve. The days flew like a breeze and the dancer could not bring herself to even so as look at the CEO. Then again, it was not as if he was around most of the time or wanted to be in her company. Anzu let out a sigh as she saw Mokuba sprawled on the floor doing his holiday homework. After hearing him complain about his teachers for half an hour, Anzu coaxed him to get over it and just do his work.

She watched the young boy with a bored expression. Since she had been tutoring him it seemed he did not even need her help to understand anymore. Mokuba was naturally a smart boy, just a little on the lazy side since his days of cutting classes made him fall behind. The sound of his pencil scribbling across the paper was the only sound in the room. It was rather agitating. Anzu could hardly sit still. She felt trapped in this penthouse, despite the fact that it was a spacious one.

"Mokuba, I'm going for a little walk," Anzu said.

The young boy's head shot up as he saw the girl pulling her coat from closet. She wrapped her scarf around her neck and placed on her black boots. The younger brother was now on his knees watching her.

"I'll be back in a few minutes." She said opening the door.

"Okay," he replied, returning to his work.

She took the elevator down to the lobby and made a quick exit. She wanted to avoid all the rich people whom would give her dirty looks. Outside, she decided on a quick walk around the block to clear her head. She walked passed stores, all displaying the latest trends with discount prices now. Anzu let out another miserable sigh. This place made her feel so small. Anzu stopped and knocked her self on the head.

"Cheer up Anzu," she said softly to herself. "You'll be back in Domino soon enough."

Just then, she passed another store with a mannequin wearing a blue scarf, but of different quality, and a winter outfit.

"I wish I did not give him that scarf," she mumbled. "I bet he threw it away. It was a stupid scarf anyway, not as if it meant anything. Who cares if he threw it away anyway?"

She tried her best to convince herself that the scarf was a meaningless gift. Yet, she failed miserably. For some reason she wanted Seto to say "thank you" even if it came out rude. Deep down it hurt, the hours she put into making it. Not to mention the times she had to undo it since she made mistakes. Suddenly she stopped and saw a large banner hanging over an intersection.

"Haaappeeee Nueewww Yuh-EAR," Anzu read trying to remember what very little English she knew. Her class back in Japan was dull since the teacher was an old man who could hardly speak the language himself.

_I swear before I come here to study dance I am going to have to take some more English classes. She thought. On the other hand, maybe Mokuba can probably teach me a bit. __  
_  
She smirked as she continued on her brief walk. Returning to the building, she once again rushed into the elevator to avoid anyone who might be looking. As she entered the penthouse, she began to strip herself of her coat when she noticed another coat was hanging on the peg.

_Oh, Kaiba must be back._

She turned the corner to see Seto and Mokuba talking. Anzu ran a hand through her hair nervously. Absently, she began to tug on the ends as well not sure whether to approach them or not. She slowly began to walk toward them, keeping her eyes on anything else rather than the CEO. Mokuba noticed her and signaled his brother to turn around as well.

"Where have you been?" asked Seto.

"Just for a walk." She replied and then knelt down to Mokuba. "Are you okay?"

She gently patted his head and he smiled. Mokuba then realized he was being treated like a kid so he playfully pushed her away.

"Anzu, we're going out." Mokuba said excitedly. "Seto is taking us to this fancy restaurant and then we're going to go to Times Square and watch the countdown!"

Anzu stole a glance at Kaiba who still had his "game face" on. She stood up and gave him a bow.

"Thank you for inviting me."

Seto let out a snort laugh. "Seriously you must be a blockhead, Mazaki. Mokuba would get angry if I left you here on New Years. Anyway we'll be leaving in half an hour."

Anzu was angry that he called her a blockhead. However, she was more nervous now. They were going to a restaurant. Knowing Seto, he probably made reservations at some really fancy place where she had to look all-pretty. As if he read her mind, Seto let out an annoying sigh.

"It's casual so just go as yourself." He instructed. Then he turned around and left for his bedroom.

The next thing she knew Mokuba was cleaning up his textbooks and school supplies and running off to his room. Anzu rubbed the back of her neck. Returning to the room, she pulled out a pair of white jeans and pale yellow sweater to wear. She quickly combed her hair and placed on a pair of black shoes. With a glance in the full-length mirror, she left the room and got her coat on. Seto and Mokuba were already dressed and waiting on her.

The restaurant was not too far from Times Square. The three walked in and the host greeted them. She bowed to Kaiba and grabbed three menus before leading them to a booth. As they passed by Anzu noticed several of the Americans who were chatting amongst themselves turned to look at them. At first, she thought they knew Seto, since he was the number one duelist and a CEO of a popular corporation. Yet when she passed by a table, she heard one of them whistle. Anzu turned her head and saw a few men eyeing her. She gave them a glare and hurried to get away.

"Foreign girls are so sexy," one said in English.

"She looks like she never had a boyfriend before. I wonder if she's a virgin." Another cackled.

Anzu could tell they were talking about her. She could not really grasp what they were saying but whatever it was, they were laughing. She ignored them and slid into the booth next to Mokuba who was reading a menu. Seto was doing the same until he heard his cell phone ring. He pulled it out and looked to see who was calling him. After excusing himself, he turned to leave the dining area to take his important call. Once he was gone, the rude boys who had been giving Anzu catcalls when she passed began staring. Of course, she was uncomfortable but she tried her best to ignore them. Just then, a paper ball flung itself and hit Anzu softly on the arm. She looked over her menu to see the boys laughing. Never, at anytime in her life did she wish Seto were here. She bet he would get them to stop by just a glare.

She flicked the paper ball off her table and continued to ignore them. Just then, another paper ball came flinging. Angry, Anzu glared at them but this time she found them giving her vulgar gestures.

_What is their problem? Who the hell do those idiots think they are? Just ignore them; people like that just want a reaction. If I ignore them, they will go away. __  
_  
The harassment did not stop for the next thing Anzu knew two of the boys were heading passed her booth. One had shaggy brown hair and eyes and the other had greasy black hair and brown eyes. Anzu did not make eye contact with either of them. Before she could even react though, one of the boys "accidentally" pushed the other right into her. The next thing she knew the shaggy haired boy was against her, his hand groping her breast.

In frustration, she sent a violent slap toward the shaggy haired boy and he stumbled off. Mokuba looked up in shock and saw Anzu on the verge of tears. The person, who was slapped, now was spitting out profanity at Anzu, making Mokuba glare. Mokuba got up ready to defend Anzu when the next thing he knew Seto was standing next to the person, towering over him. The two looked at each other, Seto's eyes narrowing at him with hatred.

"What the hell is her problem?" The shaggy haired boy said. "I just fell it was no big deal."

Kaiba looked at Anzu and then she got up and ran from the restaurant, completely embarrassed. Seto stared at Mokuba, silently telling him to leave. The people at the restaurant were staring, including the waiters and waitresses.

Outside, Anzu could not believe some boy was trying to take advantage of her. It was sick and disgusting, having some creep touch her like that. She was thankful she slapped him hard but it was embarrassing. She wanted to beat the hell out of him but then again she never wanted to see him again or his loser friends. Mokuba walked out of the restaurant then and before he could ask what was wrong Seto Kaiba walked out, his expression cold as ice.

He turned to Anzu and Mokuba. Without warning, he placed a hand on Anzu's head. She looked up at him stopping all tears from falling.

"Don't cry over filth like that." He said. "You hear me, don't even let one tear fall."

When the words came out of his mouth, there was no emotion to them. Anzu did not know how to take it at first but in the end, they did make her feel better. The boys did try to take advantage of her and getting upset would give them a victory. Seto removed his hand from her head and then called for his limousine.

Anzu went into her room to rest, yet that was the one thing she could not do. She was upset for a little while longer before she got mad. She wanted to beat those idiots up good. After a few more growls and complaints to herself, her mind began to linger toward Seto Kaiba. He was so nice to her, well sort of. He came to her rescue and he even comforted her. She never expected him to be so nice.

"HEY ANZU!" A voice boomed. Anzu turned around to Mokuba burst into her room and jump on her bed, right on her legs.

"Mokuba, what is it. What's wrong?" she was startled.

"Nothing, Seto told me to tell you dinner is ready."

"Dinner?" she blinked. "Don't tell me your brother cooks too!"

"Well no, Seto didn't cook it, the chef did. Seto was actually doing some work."

Anzu nodded and scooted off her bed. As she approached the door, Mokuba tugged on her sleeve. She looked down at him and noticed he was worried.

"Are you okay?" he questioned.

"Yeah, I'm okay now." She smiled.

In the dining room, Seto was already seated at the head of table. Mokuba jogged to his spot to Seto's right and Anzu sat across from him. The food on the table smelled delicious and was prepared beautifully. After thanking for their food, the three began to eat. Mokuba would usually begin to chat. Talking about this, that, and how he did not want to go back to Domino.

"Um… Kaiba, you and Mokuba do not have to stay here on New Years Eve. If you want you can go to the square." Anzu said, a little embarrassed.

Kaiba looked up at her and shook his head. "We can watch it from the balcony." He said finishing his meal. Anzu watched him get up and place his dirty dish into the sink. He then went back into his room.

Hours later, with midnight approaching, Anzu and Mokuba stood on the deck watching the people surround the area to watch the ball drop for the New Year. Mokuba was bouncing up and down excitedly as the people filled the streets and were ready to celebrate. The minutes ticked away and the two stood anxiously. When the final minute was upon them, the door to Seto's room slid open and he stepped out onto the balcony. He did not seem happy. He seemed like this was more of a waste of time. Whatever he was thinking he kept to himself.

"Ten, nine, eight, seven," Mokuba shouted aloud.

"Six, five, four, three," Anzu joined in.

"Two, one, HAPPY NEW YEAR!" the two shouted together. Next, they embraced one another and began jumping for joy as the people below did as well.

"Mokuba, you better get to bed," Seto said.

"Aww... Seto," Mokuba whined.

"Go, it's freezing out here."

Shoulders slumped, the young boy walked into the house wishing he could stay up later. Anzu watched as he sulked all the way to his room and giggled. She then turned to Seto. She wanted to wish him a Happy New Year.

"Happy New Year," Anzu said with a shiver.

"Yeah, whatever," Seto replied.

"You could say it back you know. I swear Kaiba, sometimes I think you could be a somewhat decent person. Does ice water run in your veins?" Anzu realized what she had said after she said it. "I mean, uh ha, ha I was just kidding just like that stupid scarf I got you. It was a joke. Laugh a little, Kaiba."

Anzu slapped herself mentally for sounding so stupid.

"Mazaki, can you ever go a day without saying something stupid?"

"What is that suppose to mean?"

"Every time you attempt a conversation with me, you sound like the idiot mutt."

"Hey quit calling Jonouchi a mutt or else."

Kaiba smirked. "You threatening me is like a Kuribo threatening a Blue Eyes White Dragon in a duel. Believe me, I am not afraid of a little girl like you."

"Ah, I swear you are so rude, can't you say one nice thing to me?"

Kaiba stared at her, with his emotionless eyes. He said nothing, which even more frustrated the girl. She let out a frustrating noise and ran her hands furiously through her hair. She was about to leave when his voice spoke, not loud but soft so only she could here.

"I'll say this once and only once. My opinion of you being Mokuba's nanny was low. How could someone from Yugi's little group be **MY** brother's keeper? I thought this was the biggest mistake of my life. It was the biggest mistake of my life, which turned out all right in the end."

Anzu blinked. She was about to say something but Seto spoke again.

"I guess you do a decent job. Now get inside before you get sick, you idiot."

"IDIOT, who are you calling an idiot?" Anzu shouted. Seto smirked again and before Anzu could even defend herself the CEO walked into his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. She took several deep breaths to calm herself down and then leaned against the guardrail.

"Thanks… Kaiba."

**X, X, X,**

Anzu, Seto, and Mokuba returned to Domino late on January 3rd. A limousine dropped Anzu off at her house where she was greeted by her mother and father. She gave them each a hug and then decided she needed sleep. Classes would be starting tomorrow.

After a few hours of sleep, Anzu awoke, tired and desperate for some coffee to keep her awake during school. She could not wait to tell Yugi about her trip since he was the only one, other than her parents that could tell. As Anzu sipped at her coffee, she flipped through the pictures she had taken on the trip. She laughed at the silly pictures she and Mokuba took, one with them wearing the Statue of Liberty souvenir hats. She would have to give the copy to Mokuba. As she flipped through them, the doorbell rang. Puzzled she went to the front door to see who it was.

She opened the door to see Yugi standing outside. She smiled, happy to see her friend. He was dressed in his school attire, winter coat, and the scarf she made for him. Also around his neck, of course, was the puzzle.

"Hey, Yugi!" Anzu greeted, opening the door wider. The shorter boy gave her a small smile and stepped inside her house. He took off his shoes and Anzu led him into the kitchen.

"I go the pictures from the trip." She said. "Look at this one it's me and Mokuba at Central Park and this one is a funny one of us at the Statue of Liberty." She showed Yugi the pictures excitedly.

"Wow, these are nice," Yugi tried his best to sound enthusiastic. In fact, he was nervous.

"Oh and this one is us on Broadway!" she said showing another picture.

"Anzu," Yugi squeaked.

"Yes?"

Anzu looked up to see Yugi shove a box in front of her face. She blinked. The box was gift wrapped with a bow on it. It was a late gift for her.

"I'm sorry I did not give it to you before you left." He apologized. "But I want you to have it."

Anzu took the gift from him and looked at it. Yugi began to grow anxious as she slowly unwrapped it. She then opened the box and peered inside.

"Oh Yugi," Anzu said surprised. She pulled out a silver bracelet with little charms, each shaped in duel monster characters.

"The Magician of Faith is your favorite card so I got a charm of her," Yugi explained. "Shining Friendship is when you beat Mai to get my star chips back, and the Dark Magician is my favorite card because…"

Anzu cut him off by saying, "Yugi, I can't accept this. It's too much and I just made you a scarf."

Yugi felt his cheeks begin to burn. He had to tell her. When Anzu left for New York the only thing going through his mind was telling her how he felt. He was going to tell her now or never. He discussed it with his other half that if he did not tell her he would suffer. Yugi had built up feelings and he was going to tell her now.

"The bracelet is beautiful but Yugi I can't accept it. Compared to my gift, this is way too much." she continued as she placed the bracelet back into the box.

"DON'T YOU GET IT?" Yugi shouted, startling Anzu.

Anzu stared at Yugi, who was now for some reason angry. Anzu was almost afraid to ask him what was wrong. Why would her friend yell at her like that?

"I bought that for you so you could wear it, not to shove it back in my face!"

"I'm sorry…" Anzu tried to apologize but Yugi went on.

"WHY CAN'T YOU UNDERSTAND? AM I ONLY A FRIEND TO YOU?"

"Yugi, you and I have been friends since we were kids. I think of you as one of my best friends. I care so much for you so why are you upset with me? What did I do wrong?"

Yugi felt his heart slam against his chest as he saw Anzu look sadly at him. He felt horrible for yelling at her but why could she not see it? It made him angry that she was oblivious to his feelings. Then again, he never told her or really hinted to her about his feelings.

"Yugi I…"

"DAMN IT, ANZU, DO I HAVE TO SPELL IT OUT FOR YOU? I HAVE FELT THIS WAY ABOUT YOU FOR A LONG TIME! DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? I LOVE YOU!"

**X, X, X,**

**Author Note- **Hey, how is everyone doing? I'm sleepy because I haven't been getting much sleep. Anyway few notes about this chapter since I got a few reviews about this in the last. Okay Japanese people take English, I know, but I made Anzu not know for the fact that I wanted her to be clueless when American people talk to her. By the way, people do not act so afraid to tell me stuff in reviews I take everything pretty well. I took Spanish and as of now, I can only remember like three words because my teacher was so bad. (Laughs and then hangs head) I have no ear for other languages. Also, I thought it would be cute to have Anzu sound out Happy New Years. I remember as a kid, teachers told us to sound it out the word. Well, anyway enjoy and please leave a review.


	19. Be Still My Beating Heart

**Melting the Ice ****  
****Chapter 19 ****  
****Be Still My Beating Heart ****  
**

Anzu had been in a daze all day. Her mind could not comprehend that her childhood friend loved her. He had sounded so angry with her as if she was supposed to know, but how could she have known? There had never been any indication, not even a subtle hint. It was so unlike her friend to be so emotional like that. Yugi, who was always so cheerful and childlike, was in love with her! How had she not seen it coming? And for how long had he been keeping it from her?

Anzu sat for a long time before she realized she would be late for school. During class, she could neither face Yugi nor even speak to him. During lunch, she told Jonouchi and Honda she had to do homework and ditched them to hide out in the library. She had hidden in a corner to be out of view of anyone. She knew people were wondering why she was in such a daze but she could not answer them. What would she say to Yugi?

She hugged her knees to her chest and dropped her head on top of them. In her hand was the charm bracelet Yugi had given her. She had been contemplating what to do. She treasured the gift very much but to tell Yugi she loved him...? Of course, she loved him but not on the same of love he wanted from her. She had no idea what to do or say. If she said "no", she would hurt Yugi but if she said "yes", she would be living a lie.

_I like him but I do not love him. This is so damn frustrating. This is so awkward too. How can I keep him from hating me, or prevent things from getting weird between us? Then again, what is wrong with me being his girlfriend? It is not like I have anyone at the moment really._

"**_Nevertheless, you do like someone_**," A nagging voice in the back of her mind said. "**_You like someone but refuse to admit it_**." 

_Like someone? I do not like anyone! Anzu began to argue with herself. Like someone? Me? That is crazy. I like Yugi and the guys as friends._

"**_Who said anything about Yugi_**?"

What could she be thinking? Whom was she thinking about? Anzu let out a grunt and stood up. Lunch would soon be over. Who could she possibly like? She walked down the steps from the third floor to get to her classroom when a group of people walked by. She waited for them to pass and then stepped down to continue, when someone bumped into her. 

"Oh sorry," Anzu said.

"Watch where you are going Mazaki!" a harsh voice snapped. "You look like you are lost, more than usual anyway."

Anzu stared at him and then felt her heart skip a beat as he picked up his brief case. She mentally cursed her heart for doing that but it continued to beat irregularly. She did not know why but it was going faster as well. Why was she so hot all of the sudden? Seto stood up and smoothed out his blue blazer. He looked at her with the same cold look he gave everyone.

"I'll be late tonight," he said silently. "Make sure Mokuba gets all his work done."

Then without another word, he brushed past her gently. He acted as if he owned the place. Anzu watched him walk off and could still feel her heart pounding. She had no idea until that nagging voice in the back of her mind said something she never thought of before.

"**_You know you like HIM! You like Seto Kaiba_**!"

_ME like Seto Kaiba?_

Before she could ponder another thought, a hand clamped on her shoulder. Anzu jumped high and let out a loud scream. She turned around breathing heavily as she saw Jonouchi, Honda, and Yugi staring in confusion. The blond haired boy scratched his cheek and looked at Honda. Then they turned back to Anzu.

"Don't scare me like that!" Anzu gasped.

"Jeez, I didn't think you'd be so touchy." Jonouchi yawned. "So did you finish your homework?"

"Yeah it's all done." She looked over at Honda and Jonouchi and gave a fake smile. Luckily, for her, those two were not clever enough to notice she did not have anything with her. Yet, she still could not face Yugi. She turned around and arched her hand in the air.

"We better get to class," she said nervously before scurrying off. 

Honda and Jonouchi looked at one another. The two watched as Anzu disappeared around a corner and began to wonder what was up with her. Yugi, on the other hand, was staring at his shoes as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. He, too, could not face Anzu after that. He abruptly told her something he had been feeling for several years now. He wanted to be with her, hold her hand, and be the one she came to when there were problems. He wanted Anzu to be his girlfriend, more than anything in the world. Just then, Jonouchi nudged the boy in the shoulder. Yugi looked up and gave him a weak smile.

"Something wrong?" he inquired.

"Guys…" Yugi looked sadly. "I-I told Anzu how I felt!"

Jonouchi and Honda looked at him wide eyed. Yugi's cheeks were burning red with embarrassment, however his taller friends were grinning. Suddenly Jonouchi got Yugi into a headlock, picking the boy up off the ground. Then he furiously began messing up his hair while Honda was slapping Yugi's shoulder.

"Way to go, you sly dog," Honda grinned. "No wonder Anzu is acting all nervous."

"Yeah you must have really made an impression." Jonouchi added. "I bet she really feels the same way but wants to tell you in secret. Like in the bedroom and thank you for giving her that gift you gave her." 

"Oh, I can see it now." Honda piped up in a horrible imitation of Anzu's voice. "Oh, Yugi I love you too. Please come over to my house tonight."

Yugi's face burned bright red and he nearly fainted but Jonouchi let him go. Yugi then, although completely red in the face, glared at his blond haired friend.

"ANZU IS NOT LIKE THAT!" Yugi defended.

The boy then turned on his heels and hurried away, his face still red. When he entered the classroom, he saw Anzu with her head down so that her hair covered her face. He sucked in a sharp breath and took his seat right next to her. However, after the conversation he just had, he could not face her all the more. Perhaps in some way Anzu was too shy to tell him. After all, they were childhood friends and she was just afraid it would ruin their relationship as friends. Then again, the way Yugi told her was not the way he planned it either. He looked down at his millennium puzzle. When he got home, he felt like talking to the spirit.

Next to Yugi, Anzu sat with her head low and her pencil in hand. She was making squiggles on her paper. Her mind was full of thoughts and each one as confusing as the next. The most confusing of all was the fact that she may have feelings for a certain CEO. That possibility was much too crazy to believe. She began writing a tiny list of reasons why liking Seto Kaiba would prove she had lost her mind. One reason was that he was arrogant. Not to mention him being a spoiled, self-centered, egotistical, snobbish rich boy. In addition, he was hell bent on trying to defeat Yugi any chance he got and make her other friends look like idiots. How could she possibly like him? 

_Then again, he did save my life_. She thought. _Twice he had saved me, counting that time during his tournament. I guess that is a plus for him. Okay he has one good point but that is not enough to erase the bad ones. _

Just then, there was a loud ring. Anzu looked up and saw that class was over. She blinked and watched the students file out of the room. She gasped and began collecting all her things. She rushed out of the room to her locker. After collecting what she needed for homework, she switched her shoes, and pulled on her coat. She could not wait until winter was over. Shoving her books in her backpack, she hurried down the school steps and out the entrance. She completely passed Yugi, Jonouchi, and Honda without so much as a good bye.

**X, X, X,**

Anzu watched Mokuba lying on his bed, working on his homework. She smiled every so often when he looked up from her work. The day seemed to fade away and it was already night. Seto would be home soon. Anzu could not wait to get home herself. She just needed time to gather her thoughts and figure out what she was going to do about Yugi. The best things to do was let him down gently but not mess around. Before Anzu could think anymore, a bright light flickered through the window.

"SETO IS BACK!" Mokuba cheered.

He bounded off the bed and out the door as if he was a track runner. Anzu got up and went after him but the young boy disappeared down the hall before she could even move. Luckily, she knew the basic layout of how to get to the main hall. Anzu traveled down a hall that seemed endless before coming to a spiral staircase. She looked down and saw darkness. As she ran down, it seemed as if she was going on forever. Yet she kept going until finally, she came to the last set of steps. When she took the last step, she felt her feet give way and she was falling, into a white light. Before she could hit the ground though, she felt a pair of strong arms catch her.

Anzu looked up and saw a set of azure eyes. Seto Kaiba was now keeping her from falling. He held her bridal style in his arms and she saw Seto Kaiba in a tuxedo. She blinked and noticed her clothes were not her school clothes but a red dress. She gasped and looked at Kaiba who was smiling at her!

"What is going on," Anzu gaped. "Where is Mokuba? Why are you wearing a tuxedo? How did I get this dress?"

Just then, she noticed Seto's face was leaning toward her. Anzu gasped as she realized what was going on. She placed her hands up trying to refuse him but her hands felt heavy and she could not resist the temptation of a kiss.

"Anzu! Hey Anzu, wake up!" Mokuba called out.

Anzu jumped up, her eyes shot open. She found herself lying on a pile of her books. She found Mokuba next to her looking at her in confusion. She blinked a few times.

"Wha-What is going on?" She said.

"You were dreaming. You sounded like you were scared."

Anzu rubbed her eyes. She was relieved it was just a dream. She felt as though Seto was actually holding her then. She shuttered and rubbed her arms.

"Is your brother back yet?" she asked.

"He should be home soon," Mokuba replied. "Are you sure you're okay Anzu? You look a little pale."

"I'm fine," she assured him. "I guess I was really tired."

She gave Mokuba a smile. He smiled back and went to do his homework. Anzu let out a sigh. The dream was still playing out in her head. How could she have wanted to kiss Seto? It was insane. Anzu ran a hand through her hair, feeling unsure of herself. After another half-hour passed, Seto Kaiba returned home. Mokuba headed down to greet him and Anzu began to clean up so she could leave. She carried the heavy backpack, wishing she did not have so much homework. When the reached the grand staircase, Mokuba jumped on the banister and slid all the way down.

The two greeted each other, with Mokuba giving his brother a hug. Anzu watched from the top of the staircase, her eyes looking down at him. She could feel her heart begin to beat wildly, thumping against her chest. She began to curse her heart for acting like this. Why was it only around him? Was she going crazy? She slowly headed down the steps. With each step she took, she found it harder to keep her balance. Her heart began to pound in her ears so loud that she was deaf to all other sounds in the room. About halfway down the steps, Seto looked up at her and she felt her legs turn to mush. And before she could even react, she found herself falling. She opened her mouth but she could not hear herself scream.

But before she could fall down the steps, Seto was there, his arm keeping her from collapsing. He steadied her on the step before sitting her down. Mokuba was at her side a second later. Anzu looked up at Seto who seemed to be screaming something at her but the sound of her heart beating made her unable to hear him. Mokuba brought a tiny hand to the girl's forehead and then began talking to Seto. Closing her eyes shortly, she took a deep breath and felt her heart begin to slow.

"I'm sorry," she muttered. "I must be really tired."

"No kidding," Seto grunted. "Hurry up and go home. I do not need you fainting on me because of fatigue. Last thing I need is you getting sick."

Anzu frowned. She slowly got up and grabbed her backpack from the bottom step. She placed it on her back.

"Sorry to be such a pain," she said sadly. "I'll be all right tomorrow."

She felt her cheeks grow red as she placed on her shoes. She then watched as the servant held the door open for her. Without looking back, she said, "Bye Mokuba, see you tomorrow."

**X, X, X,**

Above the Kame Game Shop, Yugi was lying on his bed with his pajamas on and his puzzle sitting next to him. On the edge of the bed, the spirit was sitting watching his lighter half. Yugi had explained the situation but the spirit was unsure he would be much help. After all, he was a duelist and a former Egyptian Pharaoh. He was not some advisor on dating. However, Yugi felt he could talk to him about anything.

Sighing softly to himself, Yugi propped himself up onto his elbows and looked over at the spirit. He gave him a sad smile and then swung his feet over the side of the bed so he would be in an upright position. The spirit tilted his head to one side.

"I'm not sure what to say," he told Yugi. "Perhaps it is how Jonouchi and Honda had said. Maybe Anzu is shy. I can tell how much she cares for you. You are friends after all."

"Yeah, friends," Yugi grimaced. "I want her to be my girlfriend. I have loved her for so long and now when I tell her she ignores me. Maybe I waited too long and she actually found someone else. Oh god, what if she did find someone else? What do I do?"

"Calm down, Yugi. Overreacting will not get you anywhere. You cannot force Anzu to love you. Give her time to sort out her own feelings. I was there you know. You were abrupt in your manner of telling her. She may still be in shock."

Yugi sighed and fell back on his bed. He brought his hands to his face and let out a groan. He regretted the way he acted and wished to go back and try again. It made him mad though. How could Anzu not see his feelings? Had he been too discreet? Yugi heard the spirit of the puzzle chuckle. The short boy looked up and blinked. Without a word, the puzzle began to glow and he disappeared. Yugi sat there dazed and confused. However, his other half was right. He had to wait and see how Anzu felt about him. He would have to act as if everything was all right and attempt to make it less awkward than it already was. Before going to bed, he sat up and pulled open his nightstand drawer open.

Inside the small drawer were tons of knick-knacks, toys, little games, but what he pulled out was a violet scarf. He looked at it and gently brushed it against his skin. The soft material felt so warm to him. It was as if Anzu made it for him out of love. He wondered how long it took her to make it. He never knew Anzu could knit so this was probably her first time. His fingers traced over the material wondering how many times she had had to start over after messing up. A small smile crept on his face. At least she was kind enough to make it for him. Sighing, he looked up at the sky and saw the starry night. He wondered though if Anzu could see the stars right now.

**X, X, X,**

Anzu sat in her room, her nightlight shining brightly. She was hunched over, eyelids threatening to close on her. With pure determination though, she managed to continue her work. In her hand, she had a blue pen and on her paper, she was poorly scribbling a letter. It was still legible. Well at least she hoped Yugi would be able to read it. When she returned home, she thought long and hard about Yugi. She knew what she had to do. She would tell him her true feelings. Whether it is for the best or for the worst, she knew it was the right thing to do. Tomorrow during class, she would give him this letter which read:

_Dear Yugi, ___

_Please meet me behind the gym, after school. Please hurry because you know why I can't stay long. I have to tell you my answer. Do not tell anyone else about this, please. I want to talk to you in private. See you after class, and again DO NOT BE LATE! ___

_Sincerely, __  
__Anzu __  
_  
Finished with her letter, Anzu dropped the pen on the desk and flicked the nightlight off. She let out a long yawn before retiring to her bed. She dropped down instantly, closing her eyes. Before she could think of anything more, she nodded off.

**X, X, X,**

The next morning, Anzu quickly showered and dressed for school. She made a quick breakfast before running out the door with her backpack in hand. She wanted to get to school before there were many people. She wanted to keep this conversation discreet. Anzu made it to school in record time. Once inside, she noticed very few students around. After changing her shoes and dumping several books she did not need, she slipped over to Yugi's locker. Looking around, she placed the letter on top of his shoes and slipped away unnoticed.

Sighing with relief she was grateful no one saw. If someone did, they would probably open the locker up to see what she wrote. Some people in her school could not mind their own business. Before heading into class, Anzu stopped off in the bathroom to fix her hair, which became a mess when she was running. She combed it nicely and then smoothed out her uniform. Feeling presentable, Anzu grabbed her things and headed out of the bathroom and to her class. She slipped into her desk and waited.

After watching the clock slowly move around she felt herself become impatient. Without realizing, she began to tap her fingers on her desk, her eyes burning holes into the clock. Yugi would be arriving at any moment and would find the letter. She prayed though that Jonouchi and Honda were nowhere around to see it. She knew those two would make a big deal, especially Jonouchi. She did not need the added pressure of an audience watching her, which she knew they would find a way to see. As the minutes ticked, the students began to arrive one after another. Most of them were annoyed about classes and began complaining. Anzu however, could not care less. Where was Yugi? Was he reading her letter right now? What if he was sick and was not coming to school? The tension was agonizing.

Finally, Anzu let out a small sigh of relief as Yugi entered the classroom. She could see the small note peeking out of his hand. When he sat down at his desk, he gave her a small nod and that was that. No sooner had he entered the bell rang and the teacher entered. The students all began to write in their notebooks as their Math teacher began writing equations on the board.

"Please finish the problems as I take roll call," he said. Jonouchi let out a groan as he flicked a piece of paper across at Honda.

"I hate math," he grumbled.

"Thank you for volunteering to do the problem Katsuya," The math teacher replied. "Now let's see who is here today." He began to read of the roll call. As he did, the student raised their hand and announced that they were present. He went down name after name, skipping Jonouchi since he already knew he was here and went straight for, 

"Kaiba, Seto,"

He looked up and when no one answered, he turned his head to the seat to find it vacant. Everyone in the class turned to see the seat empty and began to chatter amongst themselves. Seto Kaiba never was one to miss a day of class. He was what teachers claimed to be a perfect student. Always getting good grades but with a streak of arrogance in him, which also annoyed the teachers.

Anzu turned her head to look at the empty chair. She pondered where he could be. He could not possibly be sick; he looked so well last night. Suddenly Anzu felt sick, she remembered her dream. She wished she did not remember it because now it made her stomach turn in knots. Anzu assumed that he was probably busy with his corporation, probably seeing through a business deal or something. After roll call, the teacher forced Jonouchi up to the board to do a problem. Honda snickered at his friend as well as some of the other students. Anzu could care less. She knew how to do the easy equation but her mind was elsewhere. All during class, Anzu's eyes kept returning to the empty chair and sometimes the door. She half-expected Seto to walk in, the same way he walked in anywhere. Strong, full of pride, and with that cold glare in his eyes as if he was daring someone to tell him he could not do what he pleased.

During lunch, when Seto did not show Anzu felt her self begin to worry. Why was she worrying so much anyway? Seto was capable of caring for himself. Leaning against her left hand Anzu wondered if someone watched over Seto when he was sick. Anzu always had her friends and family looking out for her but Seto had no one. Well, he had Mokuba but he was just a child.

When the lunch bell rang the students, Jonouchi and Honda out in front, went scampering out the door. Yugi and Anzu were the only two left in the room. He smiled at her and Anzu gave him the best smile she could manage. As Yugi began to leave he turned to notice Anzu was still sitting.

"Aren't you going to lunch?" he asked.

"Yeah, well I'll be getting Kaiba's homework first." She replied. Yugi nodded and ran off.

Anzu let out a sharp breath, went to the teachers, and got the assignments Seto would easily make up. She shoved them into her backpack and then instead of heading to lunch, went to the bathroom and got out her cell phone. She quickly dialed a number and hoped not to get a busy signal.

"Kaiba Corporation, this is Megumi Higarashi speaking. How may I help you?" 

"Uh, hi! This is Seto Kaiba's friend speaking. I was wondering if he is in right now."

"Yes, he is, would you like to speak with him?"

"Oh, no that's okay. Thanks. Bye." Anzu quickly hung up the phone and sighed in relief. At least she knew he was all right and not sick. Just then, Anzu let out a groan. Why was she so worried? It was SETO KAIBA for heaven sake. The guy who would do ANYTHING to beat Yugi in a duel and an arrogant jerk that treated her friends like crap. She slumped forward against the sink, wishing she had an explanation for why she was feeling like this. Yet, she had none that made sense to her.

After lunch, the classes flew by and it was the end of day. Anzu glanced over a Yugi would she knew would meet her behind the gym. She gave him a weak smile and he turned away, blushing slightly. Anzu then averted her eyes to the empty chair that was usually occupied by Seto Kaiba. She felt like slamming her head against her desk but she never knew how weird it was not hearing him make one of his stupid comments. She almost expected him to walk in and tell her how she had a dumb look on her face. When the bell to end class rang, everyone sprang to there feet. Yugi ran out of class and Anzu knew it was now or never. She would tell him what she truly felt. No beating around the bush, she would tell him straight. After gathering all her things and changing her shoes, she headed for the gym. Once she got there she peered around the corner, seeing Yugi already there waiting for her. Taking a deep breath, she turned the corner and walked toward him. When Yugi spotted her, he jumped down from the wall he was leaning on and walked over to her.

"Hi, Anzu!" he greeted cheerfully.

"Hey, Yugi," Anzu replied.

"So what did you want to tell me?" He asked his eyes hopeful. Anzu bit her lower lip and looked at the shorter boy. He was gripping his backpack so tight that his knuckles were white. Around his neck, she noticed the scarf she had knitted him. Anzu closed her eyes and then took a deep breath.

"Yugi… I…"

She felt a lump form in her throat. The way Yugi looked at her was so hopeful and Anzu felt her heart grow heavy.

"Anzu, you can tell me." He said reaching for her hand. Before he could touch her, Anzu pulled away. She shoved a hand into her pocket, pulling out the charm bracelet. She then held it out to him and he reluctantly took it.

"I'm sorry," she said looking away. "But I don't feel the same way. Do not get me wrong. I do love you Yugi, but not in the way, you want me to."

Anzu began to walk away. She did not want to look at Yugi. She could not bring herself to face him, knowing he was hurting. Behind her, his head low, his hands let go of his backpack and it fell dead to the ground. He began to mutter things but Anzu could not hear exactly. She turned slightly and then saw tears falling down her friend's cheeks.

"Who is it that you love then?" he cried. He felt foolish for crying but it hurt so much. He could not help it because she was the one he wanted. He stared at her, tears streaming uncontrollably. His hands were shaking and he looked like a lost child, not the strong willed duelist he once was. A mixture of anger, pain, and sadness was etched in his face. Perhaps even in some sense, betrayal was hidden behind those eyes. "Why can't you love me? Who is this guy you love so much that you would rather be with him?"

Anzu turned away and without thinking, she ran off. She could not lie to Yugi, because she believed he knew the truth deep down; the truth that she too was afraid to admit to anyone, even herself. She was in love with another man and that man was the CEO of Kaiba Corporation, Seto Kaiba. No matter how crazy it was, she could not deny it anymore. That man had unintentionally made her fall for him. Anzu knew even if he did not feel the same way she would have to tell him. No matter how much it hurt, no matter how much she cried, and no matter what the outcome she would tell him.

As she ran blindly across the school ground, she never looked back afraid if she saw Yugi she would turn around. So she just kept running as fast as she could.

**X, X, X,**

Author Note- I hope you all loved the chapter. In the dream I used certain symbols which if you look up can explain why Anzu is dreaming about them. Like the colors, the long hallway, and all that stuff. Well I hope you all have a nice day, take care. Oh and please leave a review.

Princess of the Knight


	20. Expulsion

**Disclaimer- I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh!**

**Melting the Ice ****  
****Chapter 20 ****  
****Expulsion**

Deep down in her soul, she knew the truth that had settled deep down in her heart. Months ago, she would never have believed something like this would be happening to her. No one in their right mind would have thought of this ever occurring. It was a sudden rush. Something she could not explain in words. It made no sense to her no matter how she looked at it. Yet, she could not deny the fact that she was hiding these feelings. How long had she been hiding them though? When did these feelings start appearing? When did she fall head over heels for Seto Kaiba?

Anzu could not even come up with an answer to that. She knew love was complicated but she never thought it was insane. Love hit her like a ton of bricks, and not in the way she suspected it would. She ended up having to break someone else's heart and falling for a person who did not even give a thought about her. However, she could not ignore the ache in her heart that beat when she was not near him. When she was, her heart would soar to the sky and it was like a feeling she never felt before, not with Yugi or the spirit of the millennium puzzle. Anzu wished she could throw away these feelings but she knew that was impossible now. No matter how hard she tried, those feelings for him would remain.

_I wish_ _I could wake up from this dream_, Anzu cried in her head.

She walked along the sidewalk to Mokuba's school. After running away from Yugi, she stopped when she was far away but she cried for a long time after. She hated the fact she hurt Yugi. It was hard enough letting Yugi down but falling for his greatest rival made her feel worse. Seto Kaiba and Yugi Mutou were never friends and Anzu doubted they would start on her account- no matter how hard Yugi tries. The two could work as a team but when it came down to it, Seto Kaiba would never want to be Yugi's friend. In turn, Anzu felt that this could never work out. Deep down, she wanted to give it a chance. She at least had to do one thing. Even if it meant she would be laughed at, possibly fired, and have awkward moments with Seto for the rest of her life, she had to tell him. She had to admit she loved him. 

Anzu brushed her hands across the gate to Mokuba's school. She saw groups of children piling out into their limousines or what not. She found Mokuba waiting for her with his backpack at his feet and his arm crossed. When he saw Anzu, he gave her an annoying look. 

"You're late," Mokuba stated, tapping his foot.

"Yeah, sorry I had something to do." Anzu wiped her eyes, realizing they were still wet.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah sure, let's get going. I am hungry and there is a pizza shop we can go eat at. I hear it's really good."

Mokuba shrugged his shoulders and hopped into his waiting limousine. Anzu followed, familiar now with the dark back seat. Her fingers ran over the leather seating as Mokuba switched the TV on to catch the end of one of his after-school cartoons. Anzu smiled at him. She did not want to worry the boy with such trivial things. Not to mention the fact that it would be weird telling someone she had grown close to that she was in love with his older brother.

Anzu shook her head and dabbed a white handkerchief under eyes. Luckily, for her Mokuba was so absorbed with his show that he did not see a few more tears slip out from her eyes and down her cheek.

_Oh man, how am I going to face Yugi tomorrow?_

**X, X, X,**

The next day Anzu dreaded going to school. Not only did she get little sleep that night but also, she had a foreboding feeling that today would be a bad day. The night before, she did not even see Seto when she left to go home. Apparently, something big was happening in his company, which was why he did not attend class. For some reason, she would have felt better seeing Seto Kaiba. He never let trivial things bother him, like how people felt about him. Well being a CEO with a heart of ice, she believed nothing fazed that man. He did not have any friends; he had Mokuba but that was brotherly love. If Mokuba were not around Seto Kaiba would be all alone. Thinking about that made her feel sad suddenly.

Living in a mansion with no one but Mokuba, who he rarely saw anyway, take away all the benefits and all there is, is hollowness. Anzu felt that same empty feeling when she first entered their mansion. Lately though, it seemed almost cheerful being there. She was glad Mokuba was happier now.

Anzu continued walking, aimlessly to school. Her mind was in a daze that she was not walking in a normal fashion. Maybe it was because she had a lot on her mind and was sleepy but for whatever reason Anzu crossed a street without looking both ways. Unnoticed to her, a car was speeding right toward her. The car let out a loud beep and tried to stop but the breaks proved futile as the icy streets sent it sliding toward her. Anzu turned her head and looked horrified. Not thinking she threw her hands over her face, as if would have done any good but the next thing she new Anzu felt someone violently push her. She landed on the ground with a large thump, hitting her head in the snow.

"WATCH IT YOU CRAZY KIDS!" a man shouted from the window of his car. 

Anzu opened her eyes to see one of her friends, begging forgiveness to the man. The man swore rudely before speeding off, dangerously across the icy streets. Anzu turned to her friend, whose dark eyes met her blue ones.

"Are you all right Anzu?" Ryou asked standing up.

"I think so," she replied.

Ryou Bakura stretched his hand out and she meekly took it. Pulling to her feet, Bakura bent down to pick up his backpack. Anzu brushed the snow from her, her body shivering.

"Is something wrong?" Bakura questioned. "It's not like you to walk across a street without looking."

Anzu looked down shamefully. For a moment, she had forgotten Yugi, and forgotten about her feelings for the CEO. Emotion overtook her and she could not stop the tears from leaking out. Ryou was shocked by this, not sure how to comfort his friend. She did after all go through a horrific experience, a possible near death experience to be exact.

"Ryou, I did something terrible." Anzu muttered.

Ryou eyes softened. He placed a hand on her shoulder and offered to take her to a nearby café for tea. They still had some time before classes would begin and whatever was bothering Anzu he figured he could at least give her some support with. After ordering green tea, the two sat in a car corner of the café. Anzu did not want anyone else to see her tear-stained face. The white haired man stirred his tea with a tiny spoon before settling it down on the saucer. Anzu stared at her reflection in the cup.

"So what is this thing you did that is so terrible." He asked gently. 

At first Anzu was reluctant but how could she not say something. If she did not tell someone, she felt like she might cry repeatedly. Taking a deep breath, her azure eyes met with his chocolate brown eyes. 

"Yugi told me he loved me." She began.

Ryou did not seem shocked by the news. Perhaps it was obvious to everyone but her, which made Anzu feel incredibly obtuse. However, he drank his tea calmly, waiting for her to continue.

"I rejected him and he got mad at me. I hurt him so bad, Ryou. He yelled at me and I never expected him to act like that. Yugi never, as long as I'd known him, acts as he did yesterday. It is my entire fault for hurting him though. How can I face him?"

She looked up at Ryou who did not looked disturbed by the news. In fact, he looked incredibly calm. Then again, he was not one to overreact. He was a calm person, gentle, and caring. He sipped his tea and placed it back down on the saucer. Looking up at her, he studied her face for a moment and sighed.

"Anzu, as obvious as it is, Yugi does like you." He stated. "I think you were the only one oblivious to it, probably because you and he are such good friends. Did you ever think about giving him a chance? I am not pressuring you into going out with him but maybe you and Yugi would have gotten along pretty well. Unless…"

Anzu looked up at him when he trailed off. What was he getting at? Did he know something or did he think he knew something. Anzu felt nervous all of a sudden. Suddenly a horrible thought crossed her mind. What if he knew about her job? What if Yugi let it slip out that she was working for him to their mutual friends. Without thinking, Anzu blurted something out that she instantly regretted when she saw a look of shock on his face.

"This has nothing to do with Kaiba."

"Kaiba? I was simply assuming that you probably liked someone else." 

"You're right; this has absolutely nothing to do with Kaiba. I do not even know why I am mentioning his name right now. Kaiba is just a classmate. Forget I mentioned Kaiba because he has nothing to do with Yugi and me. Yes, nothing to do with Kaiba, oh look at the time, we better get to class."

As Anzu went to get up Ryou stared at her waiting for her to sit down and explain. Feeling foolish, Anzu sat down. Taking a deep breath, she told Ryou the whole story. She told him about her job as a nanny, working for Seto, being in a duel, going to New York, and coming home to find Yugi in love with her. By the end of the story, Ryou's eyes were as wide as saucers. It took him several minutes to let everything he just learned sink in. It was baffling. To think this whole thing started with her needing money to pay for dance lessons. Who would have thought it would end up being much more than what she ever expected.

"So the person you like is Kaiba?" Ryou said in a whisper.

Anzu nodded solemnly. It was hard for her to admit it but it was even harder for Ryou to believe it. He scratched the side of his cheek trying to think of what to tell her. Yet, he had absolutely no idea what to say.

"Ryou, promise you will not tell ANYONE about this," Anzu begged. "My job as Mokuba's nanny AND staying in Domino High depends on no one finding out. Yugi knows and so do you but no one else can. Especially not Jonouchi or Honda, those two could not keep a secret even if their lives depended on it."

Ryou smiled genuinely. He nodded and then finished his tea. Anzu followed and the two left the money on the table before heading to school. Anzu clearly felt better by talking to Ryou. Sincerely she was glad she had someone to talk to and someone who understood her. If she had told Jonouchi or Honda about this they would have clearly flipped and tried their best to talk her out of liking Seto. Ryou, however, did not interfere because it was clearly none of his business on whom Anzu should like or not like. Anzu was grateful for that simple and kind gesture of him listening to her.

"I hope we won't be late for school," Ryou said as they carefully made their way down the icy sidewalk.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm sorry if we are." Anzu apologized. 

"Forget it. It's just this once. Moreover, if we are late we can miss math class today. Those equations we are learning are tough and I hate being picked on in class by that grumpy teacher."

Anzu chuckled. "Yeah, he really likes to make a fool out of Jonouchi though."

"Yeah, I heard him complaining about being picked on in class."

"Well it would not be problem if he would study some."

After saying that, both Anzu and Ryou began laughing at the thought of Jonouchi actually studying. The only class he could ever get perfect marks in was gym. The two rounded the corner and saw the entrance to the school. Several students were slacking off outside, even though the bell would be ringing. They hurried up the front steps and to their lockers where they discarded their coats, and changed their shoes. Then they grabbed all the items they needed for their class and went down the hall. As they walked together, chatting lightly about this and that, they passed a group of girls. Anzu paid no attention to them until she heard one of them speak.

"Look there is Mazaki," one spoke. Upon hearing her name, Anzu believed those prissy girls were gossiping about her. She would have ignored them but what she heard next was shocking.

"I heard she is working for Seto Kaiba!"

Anzu's face went pale as she stopped dead in her tracks. Ryou must have heard this as well for he turned to look at Anzu with worry in his chocolate eyes. The azure-eyed girl gulped, trying to force down the lump growing her throat. Beads of sweat trickled down her neck and she felt she was going to faint.

_How could they have known? _She screamed mentally_. No, I must have heard them wrong. They probably mean someone else. Maybe they were talking about someone else like Misao, Miyagi, or even Mastuda._

Anzu turned to Ryou and before she could ask him if he heard the same thing, a loud bell sounded. Without thinking, the two rushed down the hall to their classroom. The teacher scolded them for being tardy and made them stand out in the hallway. As they left the classroom, Anzu felt eyes burning at her. She looked over and saw Jonouchi and Honda glaring at her. She turned away, fearing the truth. They knew her secret and so did the rest of the school.

Outside in the hallway, Anzu and Ryou stood next to each other. The white haired boy looked worried because at any moment he was afraid the young girl would faint. She began wavering back and forth unable to keep herself steady. Her hands were trembling uncontrollably. The fact that whole school knew about her secret, or at least most of them did, made her wonder how long until the teachers would know. How long until it was brought to the principle? How long until she could possibly be expelled. What made this fear worse was that Seto was once again not in class. Meaning, he did not find out yet. Right now, she wished he were here. She did not care if he scolded her for having people find out, yelled, screamed, called her names, anything. Somehow, she believed he would have been calm and collective. Perhaps he would be the one to deny it all and set people straight. However, with him not around, she was all alone.

"How could they have found out?" Ryou whispered so the teacher would not hear them speaking.

Anzu shook her head. She did not know who found out and told anyone, in fact she could not think of anyone. Then a twinge of pain hit her. Her mouth gaped open as she looked at Ryou.

"Could it have been…" she trailed off not wanting to say it.

"Yugi?" He finished.

Anzu brought her hands up over her mouth. He was the only one who knew about this. Had he told everyone to spite her? No, he would not do such a thing but the seeds of doubt planted themselves in her mind. He was the only one who knew. Anzu sunk down to her knees in an alarming rate that Ryou grabbed onto her before she could fall at hurt herself. Tears were brimming in her eyes and the feel of betrayal hurt her.

_Is this what I get for telling the truth_? She questioned herself. _Is this how Yugi felt after I betrayed him? Is this what he wanted to do to get me back? Yugi, why did you do this?_

Tears began to fill her eyes. She felt Ryou place a comforting hand on her shoulder but she had no idea what to do.

After being allowed to return to class, Anzu kept her head down throughout the day. She could not face anyone and during the lunch period hid in the library, so no one would find her. She began contemplating on a way out of this mess but there was no way. During class she heard people whispering about her, when she went to the bathroom, she heard the girls gossiping while she sat in the stall. How could she deny it? With the way she has been acting it made it seem all the more true. Huddling in the corner of the library Anzu held her cell phone in her hand. She wanted to call Seto up and tell him. But how could she bring herself to tell him? It was her fault in a way and she would not be surprised if Seto fired her in a second after telling him.

Letting out a groan, she then realized she had no way of getting out of this. Not to mention the way Honda and Jonouchi looked at her, she knew she would face them later. The worse part was Yugi never looked at her once. He kept to himself and did not even say anything about this. She wondered if he even felt sorry for her or was grateful for this. After the lunch period was over, Anzu left to go back to class, hearing whispers in the corridors about her. She kept to herself the rest of her classes and knew she would have to make a mad dash to get out of here. She did not want to face her friends, not yet at least. However, before class ended a student walked in with a note for the teacher. The teacher read it quickly before looking up at his class. 

"Mazaki, you are being asked for in the principle's office," he stated. "Take your books and go since you will not be returning for the rest of today's class."

Anzu nodded and grabbed her books. She quickly exited and was somewhat grateful for the intrusion. However, she felt the nervousness return. Did the rumors reach the teachers' ears and now the principle knew? It was agonizing to think about it but she hurried into the office. The principle stepped out of her main office. He was an elderly looking man with little hair on top of his head. The hair left on his was a pure white color. He wore small black rimmed glasses and a charcoal grey suit. He was shorter then Anzu, by an inch or two. 

"Mazaki," he said in a no nonsense tone. "I have been hearing rumors that you have broken a school rule."

Anzu felt her throat become dry. Her hands gripped her books tightly and her knees began to shake. It looks like her thoughts were right. 

"Tomorrow morning, I want you to be in my office at eight o'clock. There, we will discuss these circumstances and Miss Mazaki we will also discuss your expulsion. I have no time today, good day."

Anzu felt herself go numb. She watched him walk back into the office. She left, feeling lost and unsure. The moment her parents found out, she would be in deep trouble. She headed for her locker and began to pack up her things. While in the middle of switching her shoes, the bell rang. The students were free from there studies. Anzu ignored them as they ran past her, in a hurry to leave the school grounds. When she went to go make her exit, she saw Yugi, Jonouchi, and Honda standing at the entrance waiting for her. Hanging her head low, she did not know what to say but she would have to face them. To her left she could see Ryou, ready to go home but he still felt worried for Anzu. 

The cerulean eyed girl felt her numbness vanish, which was replaced now by rage. Her eyes flashed over at Yugi and she marched up to them. Before Jonouchi and Honda could antagonize her, she spat at them to shut up.

"Are you happy Yugi?" she said her voice wavering. Yugi looked up, still visibly hurt but confused.

Anzu glared at him when he did not respond, the first time she ever felt angry with him. "DID YOU HEAR ME? Are you happy? I am going to be expelled. Why did you tell people? I thought you were my friend." 

Jonouchi and Honda looked horrified from what they heard. Yugi was no different.

"Anzu but I…" he began but she cut him off.

"Shut up, Yugi how could you just because I turned you down? I hate you!" 

Yugi's eyes widened but before he could even say a word in his defense Anzu ran out, tears stinging at her eyes. She ran past Ryou who could not even offer a comfort word to her. He turned over to the others who looked confused and horrified.

"Anzu is going to be expelled?" Honda said in disbelief. "She gets high marks, why would they expel her?"

"Yugi, you told us about Anzu working for Kaiba after we heard the rumors today but who else did you tell?"

Yugi shook his head. "I did not tell anyone. I don't know who did either!"

Anzu ran down the icy sidewalk blindly. This was a big mistake however, because in the process she slipped and fell into the icy hard snow. The warm salty tears stung her cold face. Lifting her head, she could not understand what else could go wrong. Just then a car sped by causing a huge wave of water from a puddle to crash over her. Everything was going so well but now it seemed like her whole world was crashing down. For a moment all Anzu could do was cry before screaming. Cold and alone, she knew she would have to pick herself up and get to Mokuba's school but at this moment, all she wanted to do was crawl up into a ball and cry.

**X, X, X,**

"You're late and why are you soaking wet?" Mokuba said with his arms crossed and annoyed look on his face. The other students had already left and he had been waiting a half hour for her to come. She forced herself to stop crying and told him she fell. She purposely left out the part about being expelled. He noticed Anzu was shivering so he told the driver to turn up the heat and get them quickly. He did not want Anzu to catch cold as she did that night when he ran away. Once at the mansion, the maids took her up to one of the guest bathrooms and had a pair of pajamas and robe left for her to wear.

Anzu stripped out of the frozen clothes and stepped into the warm bath water. The warmth flooded her body but she could stop thinking about tomorrow. Tomorrow she would no longer be attending Domino High. She could only imagine how her parents would scold her, and then eventually she believed Seto would relieve her of her job. She tried to fight back her tears but it was so hard. She did not even know she could cry so much and wondered if her eyes would dry up because of all the crying.

After her warm bath, she dressed in the waiting clothes and placed the robe on. A maid took away the basket that her wet clothes were in. Anzu walked down the hallway, knowing Mokuba would be in his room. Of course, he was his school clothes discarded on the floor. He was dressed in an orange and red striped shirt and jeans. He was watching TV on the bed, his book bag next to him. When Mokuba spotted Anzu, he jumped off the bed, happy to see her. Anzu tried to mask the upset look on her with a smile.

"Since we can't go out to eat I asked the cook to make us some soup to eat." Mokuba announced. "Oh and Anzu, I got top marks on my test!"

Mokuba looked so excited and Anzu smiled at him, as hard as it was considering her current circumstance. Mokuba ran over to his bag and pulled out the test paper to show her. Anzu was impressed by how well he was doing in math now.

"Congratulations, your brother will be proud." Anzu smiled.

Mokuba beamed. "Thanks, but I have you to thank really. Oh and I need your help on some assignments today. My teachers want to torture us. I swear they can never give us a break!"

Anzu gave him a sad laugh as he dumped all his books out on the bed. He paged through a book and showed her his homework. Anzu thumbed through them, it was easy for her to understand but she felt numb inside. She was going to be expelled. Mokuba noticed the sad look in her eyes, something foreign for him to see.

"Anzu," Mokuba said.

Anzu looked up at him with a smile, one she plastered on so he would not worry for her. Mokuba could tell she was hiding something from him but he did not want to ask her. She did not seem to want to share. 

"Never mind," he resolved. Then the two began to work on the homework, just as they always did.

After completing the homework, the two went down to the dining area and ate dinner prepared by the cooks. Anzu sat quietly listening to Mokuba chatter. The young boy could tell something was bothering her but he did not let on that he knew, even if it bothered him. He continued on talking about his day, videogames, and how he wished it were summer. The young girl wished it were summer too. She would be out of school and was dancing professionally. Yet, now everything seemed to be crashing down little by little and with no idea how to fix it, it was only a matter of time until it was all over.

After dinner, they headed back up to Mokuba's room. Anzu tried to keep her cheerful face up but Mokuba was clearly annoyed by it. He stopped walking and waited for his nanny to notice. When she did, she glanced over at him questionably.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"Anzu, I should be asking you that question. You seem so sad. Did something happen?" Mokuba sounded genuinely worried for her.

Anzu tried to hide her worry. "No, I am good really."

"Can you stop lying?" Mokuba asked. "You are usually much happier than this. I should know because I've been spending nearly everyday with you!"

Anzu saw the young boy was not going to let her slide out of this conversation. She could not smile and fake her way out of this. The boy was genuinely worried for her too. He wanted his nanny to talk to him, just as he talked to her back then. Anzu could not hide it anymore, sunk to her knees, and began to cry, taking Mokuba by surprise.

"Anzu, I didn't mean to make you cry!" he sputtered.

"Mokuba… they found out about us. The whole school knows I work for your brother." She began to sob. "The principle called me into his office and he said I'm going to be expelled."

Anzu buried her face in her hands. Mokuba felt his heart go out to her. Just like a little boy did to their mother, he reached over and hugged her.

**X, X, X,**

The next day Anzu dreaded going to school. She could not bring herself to tell her parents last night after watching Mokuba. She would have to tell them tonight when they returned home from work, hopefully in a good mood. Anzu dressed in her school uniform feeling odd that she would never wear it again.

"I guess top marks mean nothing," Anzu muttered. "I worked so hard to keep up my grades, keep this job so I could become a dancer, and for what? What did I do to deserve this?"

Stepping outside, Anzu could see the sun was bright and it was not cold as usual. It made her more depressed to see the outside so beautiful on such a miserable day. Her feet shuffled against the pavement as she slowly dragged herself to school, trying to delay the inevitable. She knew her friends would know she is being expelled but most likely, everyone in school would know too. It was crowded.

Once she stepped into the school, she headed for the principles office, reluctantly. The students already their saw her and muttered amongst themselves about her. She ignored them and grasped hold of door and opened it. Stepping in she saw the secretary typing away on her computer when Anzu cleared her throat.

"Oh Miss Mazaki, Mr. Tanaka is waiting for you inside." She said. 

Anzu nodded and stepped inside the office. Once inside Mr. Tanaka, the principle closed the door so not to be disturbed.

He took a breath and shook his head in dismay. "Miss Mazaki, as you know by the school rules after school jobs are forbidden."

"Yes, I know."

"Then you know what will happen to you."

"Yes, I know." She hung her head low.

"Then you know you will be expelled. I'm sorry but even with your grades you did go against the policy of this school and…" be fore he could finish his intercom interrupted him and his secretary spoke. 

"Mr. Tanaka, there is someone here to speak with you. It is urgent." 

"Tell whoever it is that I am busy," he replied shutting off the intercom.

Before he could continue talking to Anzu the sound of the secretary's voice sounded in dismay. Anzu and Mr. Tanaka both looked up to stare at the door.

"What the hell," the principle whispered.

Just then, the door burst open and the sound of the secretary's protest could be heard. Anzu's eyes widened as she saw who was standing in the doorframe. Dressed in black pants, turtleneck, and a white trench coat with belts wrapped around his arm stood the CEO of Kaiba Corporation, Seto Kaiba.

**X, X, X,**

Author Note- Well that is it for chapter 20. Wow Already 20 chapters. I also cannot believe all the reviews I got. It is so overwhelming. Thanks everyone! I hope enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading. In addition, I would like to thank Sakura for beta reading for me. Well until next time, take care!


	21. Frozen and Plain

Melting the Ice  
Chapter 21  
Frozen and Plain

Anzu stared as the CEO stood in the doorway. The same went for Principle Tanaka because his mouth was hanging open. His lower lip was quivering as if Seto intimidated him. The secretary was looking at Tanaka from behind not sure what to do. However, Seto calmly took the empty chair next to Anzu but his eyes never met hers. Tanaka closed the door and retuned to his desk but not before taking a handkerchief and dabbing his now sweaty brow.

"Hello, Mr. Kaiba," the principle gulped. "If you would like to speak to me after I finish with Miss Mazaki here then I will get to you as soon as possible."

Seto's cobalt blue eyes glared at him, the same cold glare Anzu was used to getting. The young girl could not understand how her boss was intimidating their principle. Not to mention why Seto was sitting in this office now to begin with. Anzu felt the lump grow in the back of her throat. She tried to swallow it and try to talk to her boss but she was at a loss. Mr. Tanaka placed his handkerchief back in his pocket and adjusted his spectacles.

Seto let out an annoyed snort. He then folded his hands casually and leaned back in the chair he was sitting in. Anzu looked between the two. All of a sudden, it felt tense in the room.

"Mr. Kaiba, to what may I ask do I owe this pleasure?"

"I heard that Mazaki is being expelled," Kaiba spoke casually. "I'm under the impression she broke a school rule?"

"Yes, she did Mr. Kaiba and she will be expelled." Tanaka confirmed. 

"To what accusations, pray tell?" Seto continued.

"She has taken an after-school job which is forbidden here, as you well may know. The consequence stated in the school handbook is expulsion."

Seto nodded. "Yes, by all means you have to follow the rules. Expel her from this school."

Anzu looked down. She felt it was all over and now Seto was here to laugh at her misfortune. She closed her eyes feeling like she could cry again. Everything she dreamed of was now going up in smoke. Hanging her head low, she brought her hands up to cover her face, not wanting either of the men to see her break down and cry. Yet, what happened next left her at a loss for words.

"But, Mr. Tanaka, if you expel her then I guess you will be expelling me from the school as well." Seto said firmly.

"Why no, Mr. Kaiba, why would we expel you?" Tanaka said confused by Seto. "You are a top student after all!"

Seto smirked at the compliment. "Yes, but I have also broken your school rule Mr. Tanaka. The same school rule as Mazaki in fact. I too have an after-school job. You do know I am the CEO of Kaiba Corporation, right?"

Anzu's eyes flashed open as she stared at her boss in disbelief. Why in the world was he standing up for her? Why would someone as smart as he be stupid enough to try to get them both expelled? Anzu wanted to protest but Seto made it clear that he did not want her to speak when he raised his hand to keep her from talking. Anzu then noticed the principle was edgy. He had his handkerchief back out and was patting his moistened head.

"Mr. Kaiba you are a special case," Tanaka tried to reason.

"Am I, Mr. Tanaka?" Seto said fiercely. "I believe she is also a top student. Ever since she took the job she has not let one of her grades slip. Not to mention she is working for me as my brother's nanny, which is something I don't just trust to anyone. However, if you wish to continue and expel her then I must resign from this school as well."

Now Principle Tanaka was as pale as a ghost. Something was going on here that Anzu did not understand. For whatever reason, the principle did not want Seto Kaiba to leave this school.

"Well, I guess the school can bend the rules just this one," He said reluctantly. "She is a top student and if she is working for you I'm sure it will be all right."

Seto nodded and stood up. Anzu stood up as well, staring in disbelief at what just happened. Somehow, Seto Kaiba had just saved her from being expelled from Domino High and she still had her job. After saying good-bye to the principle, Seto and Anzu left the office and went out into the hallway. Few of the early-bird students were standing by the door, wondering what was going on. But Seto gave them a piercing glare, causing them all to scatter.

"How?" Anzu asked suddenly.

Kaiba shifted his cobalt eyes toward her. He let out a smirk. "Mazaki, I'm the richest man in this damn school. The reason they won't kick you out is because of me. If I were to leave, the principle would look incompetent. I also happen to donate to this place." 

"No, how did you find out I was being expelled?"

Kaiba let out an annoyed grunt. "Are you really that dumb? You told Mokuba and obviously he came and told me everything."

"Oh, well, thank you. But I guess... you ought to be firing me now." 

"Mazaki, if I were to fire you I would never hear the end of it from Mokuba. You still have your job. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a business meeting to get to."

Anzu watched him go. She lowered her eyes trying not to cry at how happy she was. Perhaps, Seto Kaiba was a decent person, even if he did have a conceited disposition. She was grateful for everything he had done and maybe that is why she was falling for him. Deep down she believed the CEO was really kind and caring. Somewhere under his cold exterior, there was a gentle man. Someone she wanted to know better. 

**X, X, X,**

"I'm so glad you were not expelled," Ryou said as he and Anzu stood at their lockers after school.  
"Yeah, it was a relief to me too but I wonder something," she said closing the door. "I wonder if Yugi really did tell everyone about me working for Kaiba."

Ryou placed his backpack on and pondered it. "Even if he was mad at you, I don't think Yugi would have done that. Friendship is deep and between you and the others, I don't think they would ever intentionally betray you."

Anzu sighed. He had a point. She could not see Yugi doing something like that but who else could it have been? Anzu closed her locker and the noticed Yugi leaving school alone. She wanted to go out to talk to him about the situation but after the way she acted how could she? 

"It's never going to be the same between us is it?" she asked Ryou, hopelessly.

"Everything will work out in the end, Anzu." He said brightly. "Darn, I have to get going I'll see you tomorrow!"

With that, Ryou ran out of the school, bounding down the school steps. Anzu watched him go and sighed. She really hoped that he was right. Glancing down at her watch, she realized she had to hurry so she would not be late meeting up with Mokuba.

**X, X, X,**

At the mansion, Mokuba was complaining about being cooped up inside. The snow was laying thick outside and it seemed it would never stop. He wanted to go outside but the problem was the increasingly cold temperature. Mokuba stared outside his window, a plate of chocolate chip cookies and a tall glass of milk next to him. He nibbled at the food the cook brought up for him to snack on. Anzu watched the boy from behind her textbook and felt bad for him. She wanted to get out too. Placing her book down, Anzu stood up.

"How about we go down to your game room and do something," Anzu asked. "I'm sick of studying for now. I definitely need a break." 

"Okay, better then staying in this room," he began munching on another cookie.

The two quickly headed down to the game room, which was an impressive room. It had games like pool, ping-pong, air hockey, and other table games. There were also large arcade games decorating a far wall, there was even a table for card games and a mini bar. Anzu still could not believe how lucky Mokuba was. There was more stuff in this room then in her whole house.

"I swear, every time I come into one of your rooms my head spins." She said honestly.

"Yeah well, when it gets warmer we need to go swimming in our pool outside. We have an indoor one but we had to drain it for cleaning." 

"Mokuba stop before I have a heart attack and die." Anzu protested. "You and your brother are so lucky. You were born with so much luxury!" 

Mokuba eyes fell to the floor. When Anzu noticed, she wondered why he was looking upset. Did she offend him in some way?

"I'm sorry," she apologized.

"Its okay, Seto and I are lucky to have this house but I'm lucky to have him… after…"

The young boy began to tear up. Soon he was crying uncontrollably. Anzu panicked. She grasped the boy and began apologizing wishing she knew what she said that offended him so much.

Suddenly, she hugged him and began crying too. "I'm sorry, please don't cry."

Mokuba buried his face into her shoulder. His tear dampened her shirt. He wrapped his arms around and cried for a moment longer until he pulled away and wiped his eyes. The younger Kaiba brother did not want to look like a crybaby in front of anyone, least of all a girl. He screwed up his face, trying to look tough. Anzu could see he was still upset.

"What's wrong? Please tell me." She asked kindly.

"Anzu, when we, Seto and I, were little we lived in an orphanage. Our parents died and all we had left was each other. Seto promised to protect me and that he would find a way for both of us to be adopted. Most people wanted just Seto because he was so smart but he would not go. People used to talk behind my back at the orphanage about how I was a burden to my brother but Seto stayed by my side. People use to pick on me there too but he watched over me."

Anzu could see the tears threatening to fall. Gently she patted his shoulder, tenderly holding him to her, like a mother to a child. Mokuba sighed, reliving those memories hurt and it initially scarred him.

"Sometimes, I think Seto would be better off if I wasn't around." He stated sadly.

"NO WAY!" Anzu gasped. "Mokuba don't you ever talk like that. You are your brother's life. He needs you and if you weren't around who knows what would happen to him? Everything he does is for you and if you were not around... I would be sad."

Mokuba looked up at her cerulean eyes. "You would be sad?"

"Of course, we are friends and I love you as if you were my kid brother." 

Mokuba threw his arms around Anzu happily. She made him feel better instantly. He gave his biggest smiles, looking so adorable. Together, the two began to play some games, feeling much better.

When it came time to leave, Anzu packed up her things and headed down to the main hall with the younger Kaiba brother in tow. The two chatted excitedly about how much fun they had that they almost forgot about the small tear fest. As Anzu walked down the steps in the main hall, she saw the front door being opened by a butler. Anzu watched as Seto Kaiba walked in but he was not alone. Stepping out from behind him, Anzu felt her breath stop and her blood drain from her face. Golden blond locks that cascaded her face, large beautiful orbs, a perfect complexion, and an hourglass figure, stood the woman Anzu knew. Someone she knew all too well, whether she liked it or not.

"Oh, Mr. Kaiba your place is exquisite," Miss Green, said in perfect Japanese. "Oh my, is that your little brother? I swear her gets cuter and cuter every time I see him."

Mokuba gritted his teeth into the fakest smile. Miss Green passed by Seto who was taking off his blue trench coat. Miss Green was wearing a white faux fur coat over a skimpy business suit. Her face although perfect was layered with make up, thick black eyeliner, shades of blue eye shadow, rouge on her cheeks, and red lipstick.

_You only met me once lady_. He thought to himself.

Miss Green patted Mokuba on the head, ignoring the look he gave her. Then for the first time she noticed Anzu. Her fake smile turned even faker as she saw her. Her perfect white teeth glinted in the light reminding Anzu of a shark.

"Well if it isn't the nanny," she said. "Why you look positively plain in those school uniforms. Are you sure this is the same girl from that night at the party?"

Seto did not answer. Instead, he looked over at Mokuba, his eyes never looking at Anzu. Seeing Miss Green made Anzu feel a twinge of pain in her heart. It felt like it was going to burst and then she felt like pounding the blond haired woman into the ground.

"Miss Green and I need to discuss some financial details about the company. Go to bed."

Then without a word or even a glance to Anzu, Kaiba headed through the twin doors under the staircase. Anzu watched him go, wishing he said something to her, anything actually. It made her want to scream at him for ignoring her. Miss Green could only grin as she casually flipped her perfect blond locks. She then followed Seto through the double doors.

**X, X, X,**

"ARG, what is that bitch doing here?" Anzu cried shoving her face in her pillow. "That stupid bitch makes me feel so inferior I hate her. I cannot stand her. Why is she here anyway and why did you ignore me Kaiba. You notice me when I'm doing something stupid but when a leggy blond is flipping her hair I don't exists."

The moment Anzu left she felt herself want to scream so loud that she could have killed. She was jealous of Miss Green, she admitted. She hated how perfect she looked and how well ordinary she looked. Compared to her, any man would choose that scanty executive over her and it made her sad. If Seto Kaiba wanted someone, she would probably be on top of his list. She had looks and money while Anzu was plain and scarping just to earn money for dance school.

"It's not fair," she cried. "Why do I have to like someone like Kaiba? How can I get him to notice me? I am so plain but maybe if I change myself he will notice me. Then, maybe I can tell him that I like him."

With that thought in her mind, Anzu fell asleep. The next morning she awoke feeling worse. During the school day she heard so much gossip going on about her and Kaiba it made her want to punch someone out. She still could not face Yugi, feeling foolish the way she accused him without actually knowing he did it. Worse of all though, she hated how jealous she was feeling over Miss Green. Anzu had been confident about her looks but lately, as in New York, she felt so out of place, so plain. Her mind was so stressed she did not notice school was over and it was time to pick up Mokuba. However, as she was leaving school the Kaiba Corp Limousine pulled up.

Many of the students were staring. It opened up and turned out to be Mokuba picking Anzu up. She quickly ducked into the limousine to avoid the curious students. She was sick of the gossip but luckily today was Friday and she would not hear anything until Monday. Once the car was in motion, Anzu breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mokuba, what are you doing here?" she asked.

"Picking you up, Seto said you and I are going to meet him at this restaurant at six and you should get ready. It takes girls hours to get ready." 

"Quiet Mokuba," Anzu laughed.

Soon the two found themselves at Anzu's house. She allowed Mokuba inside and fixed him a drink while she went and got ready. As Anzu stared into her closet, she noticed the dress Kaiba had given her, the most beautiful dress she ever wore. The two dresses she did have were nothing compared to this. Yet, now that she looked at it, she felt like she could not wear it. Pushing it aside, she grabbed the black dress that was in there and dressed into it. The dress was long sleeved and a turtleneck. It went down to her thighs but hugged her curves. She then began to brush her hair, wondering what she could possibly do with it. She tried styling it certain ways only to scrap the idea.

"It looks terrible," she muttered.

"What looks terrible?" Mokuba asked form the doorway.

Anzu turned to face him. She pointed up to her brown locks wishing she had beautiful hair like Miss Green. The moment she thought that, she felt like smacking herself.

"My hair looks terrible," she said.

"No it doesn't," Mokuba replied. "I think its looks pretty and who cares what your hair looks like."

_I care because I want to get your brother to notice me_. She thought sadly.

"Thanks Mokuba," she said, pinning the side of hair with a silver barrette. Mokuba watched her intently as she began to do her make up. He never really noticed Anzu wearing make up ever, and if she did, it was very light and natural. Now she was piling it on to accent her features like those that Miss Green did. Satisfied, Anzu stood up still feeling plain but she had to go in confident. Seto would definitely notice her tonight.

When six rolled around, Mokuba and Anzu stepped out at a fancy restaurant. Anzu wished she owned some expensive jewelry because every other girl inside had gold necklaces, diamond rings, and other fancy jewelry glittering their bodies. The host ushered the two to the table where Seto was sitting, but he was not alone. Sitting to his left was Miss Green looking even more provocative then usual. She was wearing and incredibly low cut dress that showed off the valley between her breasts and her upper abdomen. The dress wrapped around her neck and there was a tiny clasp keeping the dress from exposing her full d-cup breasts. The dress came down to her thighs and she was wearing high-heeled red sandals. She wore large gold hoop earrings and bracelets.

Anzu was shocked to see such a revealing dress let alone in this cold weather, however it did not seem to bother the girl. When she saw Anzu, her ruby red lips curved up into a smile, her thick black eyelashes sweeping over her eyes. Any man in this room would have killed to be in Seto's position.

"Well, if it isn't the nanny and little Mokuba," she smiled. She then moved closer to Seto, who did not take notice. "Thank you for taking me out, it's so sad I'll be returning to New York tonight, these past few days were so tiresome."

Anzu felt her anger rise but she did not show it. _SHE WAS HERE FOR A FEW DAYS. No wonder Kaiba was not at school. He was busy at work with her. I hate being jealous of her but I am, the one out of place. __  
_  
Anzu took a seat, trying her best not to look upset. She looked over the menu but her eyes kept shifting to Seto who did not seem to notice the desire in Miss Green's eyes. It made Anzu sick and want to vomit right away. The dinner dragged on and Anzu wished she had not come. All she kept hearing was the blond haired woman talking about things she could care less about. As dinner ended, Seto excused himself, needing to take a call. Mokuba went to the bathroom. Anzu tried to avoid Miss Green but she was staring at her.

"What is it?" Anzu asked, knowing the girl wanted to say something. 

"Nothing, it's just that you look nothing like that girl back in New York. I guess the fairy godmother's magic wore off and you're back to plain Jane."

"Well sorry I'm only sixteen and not some top executive."

"Oh, well I was certain Mr. Kaiba would have given you a more appropriate dress to wear, that one is far too ugly but I guess I was wrong about you two. Oh well I guess magazines do lie."

Anzu arched an eyebrow. "Magazines, what does a magazine have to do with any of this?"

Miss Green gave her a devilish grin as if she was waiting for this moment. Anzu hated the look on her face. She hated this woman completely. She made Anzu feel less of herself and she had never felt like that before. It made her mad that Kaiba was so enthralled with her and did not even notice her one bit. What she did next though, made Anzu feel like crying. The blonde haired woman held out a tabloid from American. The front picture was of her and Kaiba dancing back in New York.

"What is this?" she gaped.

"Oh this is a newspaper from America, you see inside here there is a unique article saying you and Mr. Kaiba are an item. I, of course, wanted to see if it was true so I asked a few girls at your school but they were shocked. Yet, with the way he treats you I guess I am wrong."

She could see the horror on her face. Now Anzu fully knew who let the cat out of the bag. Whether it was intentionally or not, it was not Yugi's fault. Miss Green stood up and placed on her faux fur coat. 

"Well I have to go catch a plane dear, it was so nice seeing you again," she trotted off leaving Anzu horrified.

Everything that had went wrong this week was because of her. It made her blood boil. She felt like screaming but instead, tears began to fall from her eyes. Without thinking, she bolted from the table and ran from the restaurant. As she ran out, Mokuba was walking out of the bathroom when he saw Anzu running. Immediately he went to find his big brother.

Anzu ran blindly though the snowy sidewalk. Without thinking, she left the restaurant without her coat and the winter air was harsh. Anzu ran as fast as she could until her high-heeled shoes gave away and she found herself landing hard on the cold hard ground. She tried to get up but her ankle wrenched with pain. Tear poured freely down her face ruining her makeup. She felt foolish. She yelled at Yugi for doing something he did not do, she almost was expelled, and Seto did not even notice her. She was as Miss Green said, a plain Jane. There was no way she could be with him the way she was and there was no way she could be as beautiful as the seductress executive was.

Anzu sat on the ground shivering, alone. Her salty warm tears stung at her face.

Anzu felt as if everything could go wrong when a coat suddenly draped itself over her shoulders. The cerulean-eyed girl looked up to see Seto and Mokuba. The coat now sheltering her from the cold belonged to Kaiba, his signature blue trench coat.

"God you are so clumsy," Seto said. "What the hell do you think you were doing running out like that. Are you trying to get sick? Are you stupid?"

Anzu turned her head shamefully away. She wanted to yell and scream at him for the way he treated her, like a ghost that night. Yet, instead, she continued to cry. Before she knew it, Seto and picked the young girl up bridal style.

"Your ankle is swollen, we'll go back to my place since its closer and the doctor can look at it."

Anzu felt her face redden as he carried her off. His intense blue eyes looked so cold yet at that moment, she never felt so warm near him. Her cold body was sucking the warmth from him, needing the heat to warm her chilled body. How could Seto Kaiba, a man so cold, feel so warm?

**X, X, X,**

Returning to the mansion, a doctor came and bandaged Anzu's ankle, telling her to stay off it for a while. When he left, Anzu stared at her ankle. Her body felt so warm. She reached up to touch her shoulders when she noticed the trench coat was still around her. She had to return it to Seto.

Carefully she limped out of the door and down the hall. The hall was dark, the only light coming from the moon glow from the windows. She turned her head to look out the window when she noticed someone walking outside. On closer inspection, it was Seto!

Anzu limped as fast as she could to the door that led to the gardens. Outside she could see no sign of him personally but only a trail of footprints in the snow. Following them, she tightened the grip of coat around her shoulders. The night air was colder then before. She quietly followed the tracks until she saw him. She went to call his name when she noticed where he was. The CEO was sitting on the edge of his angel fountain he once told her was called "Heaven's Tears."

He was slumped over, head in his hands and with no jacket on. Seto never looked up but Anzu could see he was troubled over something and all she wanted to do was hold him. She wanted to hold him the way he did. Anzu's eyes looked up at the Angels; they looked as though they were sympathizing with the young CEO. The one with her hand stretched out look as though she wanted to hold Seto, take him from whatever pain was hurting him. Breathing, Anzu could have just stared for the longest time when he looked up and saw her. The two looked at one another, Anzu feeling embarrassed. She turned her head slightly, and walked toward him.

"It's cold out," she said. "You should be wearing this."

"I'm used to it." He muttered coldly. "Shouldn't you be at home?" 

Anzu felt her heart drop and her eyes saddened. The way he sounded as though the kind gesture never happened. It disheartened her but at least now, he noticed her. She slipped off her coat and placed it on the marble fountain next to him.

"I'm sorry for troubling you." She said. As she took a step to leave, her swollen ankle collapsed on her, making her fall onto the fountain.

"You shouldn't be walking on it and put the damn coat on. You'll catch a fever or something, stupid."

"Speak for yourself," Anzu said bitterly. "You are such a jerk to me Kaiba. You are so lucky living in the lap of luxury. Are your mean to me because I'm poor?"

"No, it's because you are stupid." Suddenly she found the coat wrapped around her. "And you weren't bothering me. I came out here to clear my head. I had a big business deal that almost fell through and not to mention that idiot executive clinging to me."

Anzu felt a small smile twitch at her lips when she heard that last part. She huddled under the larger jacket as a cold breeze hit them. 

"Well, she's gone and you got the deal so everything is okay," Anzu smiled.

"Yeah, whatever, nothing is ever easy, nothing."

Anzu then noticed Seto was staring at his hands, his eyes so intense that it was scary. His fingertips brushed across the palm as if there was suppose to be something there.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly.

"No, my hands are bleeding," he said absently.

Anzu blinked, his hands were not bleeding and at the moment, Kaiba looked lost in his thoughts. She wanted to reach out and touch him, wake him from whatever illusion he was sucked in by. He was so cold that it scared her.

"My hands stopped bleeding but they kept hurting, he wouldn't let me stop working. I kept working, no sleep, little food, until I thought I was going to die. When I passed out, he would hit me, until that day where I killed him. He jumped out of a window when I took over the company. I made sure that man would hurt me though, never Mokuba but he hurt me so much that I promised to ruin him. I took over his company and then I owned Kaiba Corps. I am the reason Gozaburo Kaiba is dead. I then made sure no other company would best me and I would make sure other companies would fall to me. Many went bankrupt and the executives killed themselves. My hands are bloody, incredibly… bloody."

Just then, Kaiba slumped forward. Anzu gasped and grabbed onto his shoulder screaming his name. His body felt frozen to her. A moment later, he regained consciousness and pushed her away, as if disgusted by her.

"Go home Mazaki," he ordered.

Anzu stared at him. A moment ago, he was spilling out secrets and now he was back to the Seto Kaiba she loathed. Anzu dropped the coat and walked off, unable to look at him. Tears threatened to fall again but she kept on walking. Seto Kaiba had a heart of ice, frozen solid. 

_He'll never see me as friend or anything else. If I want to be with him, I'll have to change myself and then maybe… he'll look at me._

**X, X, X,**

Author Note- Another chapter ends. Well, I hope you all enjoyed it. I'm also grateful for the reviews. Thanks so much!


	22. A Change in Me

**Melting the Ice ****  
****Chapter 22 ****  
****A Change in Me**

Winter was over, the snow was gone, and the weather was nice. The sun seemed to be the best thing for the people of Domino. There would be no more slushy wet streets and unbearable cold. The best part for the students of Domino High though, was that classes would end soon and summer vacation would be upon them.

Anzu stood inside the bathroom of Domino High adjusting her pink blazer. On the edge of the sink sat makeup, a brush, and hair ties. Her hands then went up to her hair to fix it. She pulled back her hair and placed it in a high ponytail. Next, she pulled the hair apart creating a cascading look. She pinned her bangs to the side with two small clips. She then held out a picture of a famous model with a hairstyle just like Anzu's in the picture. Satisfied with the outcome of her hair she reached for her makeup bag. She chose a soft pink shade for her eye shadow and nice dark eyeliner. Finished, she placed on a light touch of lipstick and blush.

For the past few weeks, Anzu had wondered how she would get Seto to notice her. She thought of making herself look more appealing in school and acting as a better nanny would spark something but it did not. She then thought trying to be nicer to him would work but it still came out as he usually did, cold. Then just a few nights ago, Anzu kept pondering what was wrong with her that would be the reason why Seto did not notice her. After looking in the mirror, she decided the next thing she would have to change is her appearance.

Her body was still developing while that stupid executive Miss Green had a perfect hourglass figure. She could not urge her body to become that way but the least she could do was to make herself more attractive. So last weekend she had even called up the only girl she knew who could stop a man dead in their tracks to help her.

**Flash Back**

_Anzu knocked on the door to an apartment and waited for someone to answer. After a few seconds, the door opened. Standing in the doorway with deep purple eyes and waves of blond locks was Mai. She was dressed in thigh-high black boots, a dark blue shirt, a tight black tube top, a dark blue sleeveless jacket, and long black gloves. ___

_"Hey hon," Mai greeted ushering her in. ___

_"Hi," Anzu said feeling a bit nervous. ___

_The two sat down in Mai's spacious living room. Mai sat cross-legged on an armchair while Anzu took a seat on the couch. Scattered on one half of the coffee table were duel monster cards, most throw away cards. On the other half was two cans of tea and some snacks for the two girls to munch on. ___

_"So what did you want to talk to me about?" Mai asked, cracking open a can to drink. "Something too important to be discussed on the phone, right?" ___

_"Well," Anzu began. "I need your advice on something." ___

_"My advice?" Mai questioned, arching an eyebrow. ___

_"Yeah, Mai I want to change my look. I want to look pretty." ___

_Mai snorted out a laugh to which Anzu gave her a frown. She placed down her can of tea and stood up, looking down at Anzu. ___

_"Girl, you're pretty enough. Why would you want to change yourself?" Then it looked as if a light bulb turned on. "Are you trying to get someone's attention?" ___

_A sly grin appeared on Mai's face. She stared at Anzu who suddenly began to get even more nervous. She tried to hide that part but Mai saw through her in a second. Mai laughed and patted Anzu on the head. ___

_"Isn't that cute!" Mai cooed. "So who is the lucky guy? Wait, let me guess.. is it Yugi?" ___

_Anzu shook her head as Mai began drinking her tea. When she saw Anzu shaking her head she spat out her tea, nearly choking on it. After coughing a few times, she wiped her mouth with the back of her gloved hand and looked wide-eyed at the girl. She had bet that the girl had been dying to get the boy's attention. Then again, Anzu would not need to impress him. Yugi liked her anyway. ___

_"So who is it?" Mai pursued. ___

_"Uh, well, promise you won't laugh?" Anzu asked. ___

_When Mai nodded, she whispered out the name. Mai dropped the can of tea she was holding in shock. Her eyes were wider then before. When she realized she dropped the can of tea she quickly retrieved it and went to get a rag to clean up the mess. When she was done, she returned to her seat, still shocked by what she just learned. ___

_"Why Kaiba?" Mai asked. "Sure, he's rich and stuff but he's not exactly the nicest person in the world. He acts all high and mighty; definitely not good boyfriend material!" ___

_"The truth is I have no idea why I like him. I think I went crazy but I cannot help it. When I am near him, my heart goes a mile a minute and all I want is to be with him. I just need him to notice me and the only way I can do it is if I look pretty and not plain!" ___

_Mai contemplated on what she just heard. She stared at Anzu who was looking down at the can of tea in her hand. Mai rubbed the back of her neck and sighed. Standing up she grabbed Anzu by the upper arm, yanking her to her feet. Anzu looked up at the taller woman confused. ___

_"I don't really understand why you need to change but if you really want my help then let's go shopping." Mai said with a smile. "You'll need a whole new wardrobe, accessories, make up, and all that other junk." ___

_Anzu smiled and thanked Mai. Overcome with emotion she hugged the blonde haired woman who was taken aback by the gesture. She patted her back and then headed for the stores in Mai's fancy convertible. __  
_  
**End Flashback**

Mai had given Anzu several tips and even helped pay for some of the things. Anzu had told Mai she would pay her back but Mai waved it off. She had won so many duel monster contests that she had plenty of money to spare. After applying the last of the make up, Anzu shoved everything into her book bag. She could hear the students grumbling about how early it was. Some were freaking out over a test they forgot to study for last night. Walking out into the hallway Anzu held her head high. She had to look confident. She got to her locker and began to take out her books when someone tapped her shoulder. 

"Excuse me, miss but that's someone's locker," A familiar voice spoke. 

"Ryou, this is my locker," Anzu said turning around.

Ryou Bakura looked startled. He stared at Anzu from head to toe in disbelief. His mouth dropped for a moment. Normally, he saw Anzu as a normal girl but today she looked different. Her body filled out her uniform, and the make up accented her beauty nicely. He hardly even recognized her.

"Anzu, you look… different… but I mean that in a good way." Ryou gaped. "I never saw you wear make up before or have your hair done. It looks nice."

Anzu blushed. At least she was more noticeable now. Just then, Yugi followed by Jonouchi and Honda were walking inside the school. Anzu could see Jonouchi nudging Honda, whispering something. The three came over and looked at Anzu as if they did not even know her.

"Hi, are you new here?" Jonouchi asked with a grin.

Anzu cleared her throat, "Jonouchi, it's me."

The sudden revelation sent the boy screaming. He stared wide eyed unsure what to say. He had seen Anzu look pretty in a casual way but never pretty as in **PRETTY**! The shock though was plastered on Honda and Yugi's face too. This made Anzu smile.

"Well better get to class." She closed her locker and walked off. However, she did not get far on her own. Yugi had dumped his stuff off in his locker then ran to catch up with her. The two had rekindled their friendship and it seemed like everything was back to normal. Well as normal, as it could get because Anzu still wondered if Yugi harbored ill feelings for her after she denied him.

"Hey, Anzu," Yugi said walking beside her. "How come you are all dolled up?"

"No reason," Anzu lied. "I'm just trying for a different look." 

Just then, the two stopped in front of their classroom at the same time Seto Kaiba was about to head inside. In her head, Anzu had planned the two to bump into each other like this. She wanted him to see her right away before her hair could get undone and any makeup could be wiped off.

"Hey Kaiba," Yugi said casually.

Seto looked down at him with the usual cold expression. He let out a small snort and turned to go in when he noticed Anzu. He looked at her for a moment and then entered the classroom. Anzu stared at him, biting her lower lip.

He looked at me, that's a good sign.

She entered the classroom. Yugi stood with his eyes narrowing slightly in suspicion. He would have bet any money that Anzu was dressed up for on reason and one reason alone. However, he would not call her out on it. Their friendship nearly ended over something stupid. Anzu was too precious to him but perhaps it was just a phase and she would grow out of it. At least, he hoped she would.

**X, X, X,**

Over the next week, Anzu was getting attention but not from the person she wanted. She tried her best to polish her skills and act just like how she thought he wanted her to be. This morning after Anzu finished dressing and such, she hurried to school. She wanted to get there before anyone, especially Seto. Upon arriving at school the few students were there doing the morning work, were minding their own business. Anzu went into a bathroom for a brief check up before she waited outside the classroom door for Seto to come.

As she waited, she noticed Miho, her classmate hanging up a flyer. Anzu looked over at as the girl left and it certainly caught her eye. The pictures were of people dancing and flowers.

**_Domino High Spring Dance _****  
****_When: April 19 _****_  
_****_Time: 6-11 _****_  
_****_Where: The Domino High Gym _****_  
_****_Before the end of term exams and summer holidays, we are allowing a dance for all Domino High Students. There will be food, music, dancing, and fun. Thanks to the Domino High student Committee!_**

Dancing, the one thing Anzu was good at. Anzu remembered back in New York when she was dancing with Seto at the party. He was good at dancing, and she really did feel like Cinderella that night. However, that seemed so long ago and now she was desperately trying to bring back the Seto Kaiba she knew that night.

"A dance," Ryou spoke up from behind her. "Only a few weeks away." 

Anzu jumped slightly. She did not notice him and it obviously startled her. The white haired boy smiled and stood next to her reading the flyer. When he was done, he leaned back on his heels and sighed. 

"Are you going to go?" he asked Anzu.

"I don't know," she replied honestly. Of course, she wanted to go. The only problem was getting the person she wanted to go with to go with her! Ryou smiled again.

"I hope you go, Anzu, with that person you like." He said in a low voice before walking off.

Anzu smiled, she was grateful someone was supportive of her. Her other friends did not want to talk about Seto at all. He acted so arrogant, cocky, and unbearable they did not want to think of him more then they had to. Especially Jonouchi, he could not stand the way Seto always put him down and called him a mutt.

"A dance," speak of the devil, Jonouchi whined, "That is sissy stuff."

Anzu looked over to see Jonouchi, Honda, and Yugi staring at the flyer. Honda nudged Jonouchi ready to crack a joke.

"Why, don't have anyone to go with?" he laughed.

"Shut up!" Jonouchi growled. He knew whom he would take to a dance. The only problem was asking her.

As the two taller boys began to yell at one another, Yugi turned his head to see Anzu. He gave her a cheerful smile but behind his eyes was a lot of emotion. She was the girl he would take to the dance. Anzu knew it too. She turned away, not sure what to say and hurried into class. However, before she could go inside she saw Seto walking, in a brisk pace heading for the room.

Anzu stiffened as she watched him approach. All of a sudden, she felt more nervous then before. She wondered if he saw any of the flyers. Absently, she began to chew on her lower lip. When he finally got up to her he stopped and stared at her. Anzu felt her heart skip a beat when he stopped.

"Mazaki," he said tonelessly. "Move so I can get into the classroom." 

Anzu blushed and rubbed the back of her neck. She then stepped aside so he could go through. He walked in and Anzu watched him pass sadly. She pulled out her compact to check her make up and her hair. A few strands of her hair fell out but nothing too drastic and her lipstick was faded since she was biting it earlier. She quickly touched up her lipstick and placed it back in her bag. When she was done, she looked up to see Yugi staring at her. She waved and then entered the class, not looking at him in the eye.

Yugi clenched his hands into tight fists. He was angry and annoyed. He wanted to punch something for the first time. Instead, he shrugged his shoulders and let out a sigh. Shaking his head, he let out a soft whisper, "Anzu, why?"

**X, X, X,**

During lunch, Yugi and Jonouchi were walking outside together. Honda was on lunch duty and Anzu claimed she was busy, most likely with her make up and hair again. Jonouchi was stuffing his face with a donut while they walked.

"So are you going to ask Mai to the dance?" Yugi asked striking up a conversation.

Jonouchi nearly choked on his donut. He banged his chest several times before he became dislodged. He let out a sigh and looked nervously at Yugi. 

"Why would I ask Mai?" he questioned, sweating a bit.

"Never mind," Yugi sighed as he continued walking.

"Something wrong, Yugi? Is it that dance? You want to go with Anzu, don't you?" Jonouchi nudged him with a devilish grin on his face.

Yugi nodded solemnly. "I do but she won't go with me, she likes me as a friend but that's not what's bugging me."

Jonouchi stopped walking. He stared down at his friend who had a worried and sad look on his face. Jonouchi hated seeing his best friend like that. He placed a comforting hand on his shoulder for reassurance. Yugi smiled, knowing Jonouchi would understand him.

"It's Anzu," He began. "You noticed how she is wearing make up and fixing her hair. She is also wearing different clothes when she's not at school. I admit Anzu looks pretty but I like the old Anzu. She's changed, Jonouchi, and I don't like it."  
Jonouchi frowned. "Yeah, I know she is changing and, well, people change. Who is she trying to impress anyway? It is probably just a phase or something."

Yugi winced. He knew exactly who she was trying to impress, Seto Kaiba. He knew it and he hated it. Anzu should not have to change for him. That detail made Yugi furious when a group of boys were walking by and laughing loudly. Jonouchi nudged Yugi to go back inside since the boys were being incredibly obnoxious. As the boys entered the school, they spotted Anzu, who was now talking to Ryou and Miho. Yugi watched sadly. It hurt him a lot to see Anzu seeing him as nothing more then a friend.

_If only she gave me a chance_. He thought bitterly.

**X, X, X,**

That night, after coming home from work, Anzu fell onto her bed, furiously screaming into the pillow. She banged her fist against her soft bed letting out her frustration. Once, she gained control she picked up her head and sighed sadly.

"What am I doing wrong?" she asked herself aloud. "I look good, right?" 

She stood up and looked in the mirror. Her hair was still looking good and she changed out of her uniform earlier and into a cute white and black tang top and skirt. She growled and slumped back onto her bed, hitting her forehead twice.

"What am I missing? What is it that Kaiba wants?" She asked. "I look good and he is sort of noticing me but there has to be something I am not doing. Let me think… maybe the way I act. Kaiba and Miss Green acted all professional and stuff maybe that is how I can get him to notice me. Yeah, that's it. Maybe I should not talk too much and stuff. He probably hates it. Also, he wants someone smart. He is smart and so is Miss Green; she is an executive after all. Okay tomorrow is the start of phase two!"

Anzu sat down at her desk and began to practice sitting strait and having her hands neatly on the desk. She held her head up high and confident. She then noticed her homework was not looking neat, more like scribbles. Then again, today Mokuba was urging her to hurry up so they could play video games. Taking out a clean piece of paper and a pen, she went to fix her homework.

**X, X, X,**

The next morning when Yugi arrived at school, he spotted Anzu at her locker. She was still all fixed up and looking nice. However, perhaps it was just a phase and she would grow out of it. Just like Jonouchi said. He approached her with a smile.

"Hey Anzu," he said.

Anzu did not reply at first. Yugi assumed she did not hear him so he spoke up louder calling her name. The young girl turned around and looked at her shorter friend. She gave him a nod.

"Hello, Yugi." She said softly.

She then walked away. Yugi blinked in confusion. He watched the way she walked; in strides somehow, it was familiar. Yet he could not put his finger on it. The same thing happened through out the week. Instead of Anzu's usual cheerfulness, Yugi would get an almost cold reply from her. He watched her in class. She was hell bent on taking notes. Making sure, she was getting top grades. One time during the week, Ryou came up to Yugi and said he saw Anzu studying the English language.

Anzu sat in her classroom reviewing her notes for a test. She sat straight up in her desk, looking poised. When Yugi walked into the classroom with Jonouchi and Honda, they greeted Anzu but she gave them the same soft "hello" that she had given all week. The three thought this was unusual, more so.

"Wow, Anzu is acting really weird today." Jonouchi said in a low voice. 

"Not just today but for the past few weeks!" Yugi replied. "At first, they were tiny acts like her doing something different, like the way she did things. Then it was this whole make over, and now she's acting really weird."

"Maybe Anzu is possessed!" Jonouchi said coming to a ridiculous conclusion. Both Yugi and Honda stared at him as if he was an idiot. "What?" he replied innocently to their stares.

Ignoring him Honda spoke, "She's acting like someone I know but I'm not sure who."

Just then, Seto Kaiba walked into the classroom, in his flowing confident manner. He ignored the rest of the class, alienating them because of his superiority to them. He set his case on the desk, opened up, and pulled out a book. He began to read, ignoring everyone and everything around him. Yugi, Honda, and Jonouchi stared at him and then at Anzu. They went back and forth for about a minute until they nearly freak out at what they saw.

"Why the HELL is Anzu acting like HIM?" Jonouchi said in a loud whisper. 

"She works for him," Honda pointed out.

"Oh my god! Kaiba brainwashed her!" the blonde-haired boy exaggerated. 

Once again, Yugi and Honda stared at him and then turned away to ignore his dumb comments. However, this was unsettling. It made Yugi angry and sad to see his friend act like this. Yugi knew why but he wanted to be wrong. He hated the awful truth. He hated that fact Anzu liked Seto. It was even worse than losing a duel. Yugi stared, wishing he were wrong, praying he was wrong. When he saw Anzu steal a glance over at Seto, he felt his heart begin to ache.

"Hey Yugi, you okay?" Jonouchi asked.

"I need some air, that's all. I'll be right back." Yugi rushed out of the classroom, trying hard not to break down in front of his friends. Yet, how could he push away his feelings? He liked Anzu for so long. Now, seeing her with someone else made him want to scream. It was so unlike him but that is how strong his feelings are for her. Yugi began to wonder now if he had told Anzu sooner of his feelings would she have liked him? If he told her long before she ever worked for Seto Kaiba would they be a couple now? Yugi continued standing, trying to regain control of his emotions.

**X, X, X,**

**Author Note**- Sorry for this one taking so long to come out, I was busy with school and I just has my birthday last week. I am sad to say to all my fans though that this story is ending soon, maybe a few more chapters and it is all over. Anyway, until next time, ciao!


	23. Hurting

**Melting the Ice ****  
****Chapter 23 ****  
****Hurting**

"WHY ISN'T THIS WORKING?" Anzu's scream erupted through her empty house.

She had just returned home from babysitting Mokuba. It was her payday and she was excited. Less about the money, she would be receiving and more on the fact that she'd be close enough to at least have her employer notice her this time. When she stood in his office though, he simply handed her an envelope and excused himself from the premises, without as much as a comment about her looks. He did not even look like he cared, which meant something was still not right about her.

Anzu was in her room, her books and articles sprawled on the floor along with several different outfits that she did not find good enough to wear anymore. On her desk rested a nice warm meal to eat.

Anzu slammed her fists down on her dresser and looked in the mirror. She stared at herself. Her hair was perfect, makeup was flawless, her actions were prim and proper, and so what was she doing wrong? In frustrated her to the point that she wanted to scream and throw something at Seto, thinking then he would notice her. Well, he would notice her all right, and then he would fire her for throwing something.

Anzu slumped to her knees and stared blankly at her dresser. She knew Kaiba would not be an easy person to please, yet she never dreamt it would be this difficult. What else was he looking for? She stood up again and examined herself, wondering exactly what she was missing. She stared at her front and took note. She then turned to both sides, and noted what she saw. She then looked at her behind and then turned back to the front.

"I'm not thin enough," she said. "I'm not thin enough like the perfect blonde-haired CEO!"

Anzu cursed herself, pinching a side and grabbing some skin. No one would have considered Anzu overweight at all. She had the perfect weight. Her body was nicely developing. After all she was still a teenager. However, she could not wait for her body to develop any faster and if she did not start losing weight, she would have trouble later down since metabolism slows with age.

"This has to be what's wrong with me." She muttered sadly. She looked at the meal she had prepared and without hesitation; she threw it in the garbage.  
**  
****X, X, X,**

A little ways from Anzu's house, Yugi was sitting in his room racking his brain for a way to stop Anzu from changing who she was for something she was not. He liked her for who she was inside and out and would never want her to change. However, inside her mind she believed she had to change. She changed so much in such little a time that it bugged him- bugged him more than he realized it did. It bugged him so much that he did not notice the spirit of the puzzle appearing at his partner's side.

The spirit could sense the weariness in his partner. When something troubled Yugi, he wanted to be there to help him. After all, he shared Yugi's mind and body. If Yugi was physically worn out then it could be a very bad thing in any upcoming duels he would be in. 

"Yugi," he called softly to the boy. "Is something the matter?"

He asked an obvious question, which snapped Yugi from his thoughts. He looked over at him and sighed. The spirit obviously knew something was wrong but did not want to pressure Yugi into telling if he did not feel like it. However, Yugi needed someone to confide in.

"It's Anzu," he stated, "She acting weird now."

"Weird?" the spirit questioned not fully understanding.

"She's changing herself for some stupid reason! She is changing herself into something she is not to impress someone. That is not what's bugging me though. I mean, everyone changes, I get that but she is taking it too far. I am afraid she is going to start doing something harmful to herself. I mean seriously, why does she have to do this? If someone likes her for who she is then why doesn't she like them? Why go for the guy who won't even give her the time of day?"

The spirit stared at Yugi who was breathing heavily after spilling out what was bothering him. He was still angry that Anzu liked Seto Kaiba over him. The very idea of her liking him was preposterous, in his opinion. Seto was an arrogant jerk who cared about himself and would gladly watch someone fall flat on his or her face. He never cared for Anzu in the first place, but why him? It irked Yugi more that it was Seto than anyone else. Maybe it was the fact that they were rivals. Maybe, for once of all the times Yugi and Kaiba were pitted against one another, this was the one thing Yugi would have traded anything in the world to win.

"I'm sure Anzu will figure it out soon enough that she should be herself," The spirit said carefully. "She is smart and perhaps this is one of those… life lessons as you call it, that she has to learn on her own."

Yugi sighed sadly. Yugi prayed his partner was right.

**X, X, X,**

After the weekend at school, Yugi was studying his notes as Anzu walked in. She was still the different Anzu, the one he did not know. He watched her take her seat. He looked at her and noticed her face was looking a tad pale. Then again with all the things she was doing, he wasn't surprised if she just fell asleep. Yugi wondered sometimes how Anzu could keep up with her busy schedule but somehow she managed it. As Anzu sat down, Yugi looked at her from the corner of his eye, still worried.

Anzu however, felt tired. She had gone almost three days without eating and going that long was tiring enough. Not to mention she had been exercising to try to lose the weight quicker. In all honestly, she felt exhausted and if not for the coffee she drank earlier, she would be fast asleep. Her stomach let out a growl. She touched her hands with it and frowned. It was hard to keep from not eating.

Yugi blinked after hearing the small growl. "Hey Anzu, you want to eat before class?"

Yugi hoped that maybe he could talk to her. Lately they have talked less; the new Anzu did not seem to like him as much as the old one.

"No thanks, I'll wait until lunch," Anzu lied. She gave him a tiny smile and then opened up her notebook to study her notes for the test.

Later when the students were dismissed for lunch, Anzu waited for the entire class to leave. She did not want anyone noticing she was skipping out on her meals. She figured now would be a better time to take a nap outside where no one would see her. She felt so tired, as if she got no sleep from the night before. She found a quiet spot behind the gym, and to make sure she would wake up on time, set her cell phone alarm on.

In the lunchroom, Yugi was sitting at a table with Honda, Jonouchi, and Ryou. Jonouchi was devouring his pizza. Honda and Ryou watched with unsure looks on their faces. Sometimes watching Jonouchi eat was disturbing. Especially since, he shoved a whole slice into his mouth and ate it. Yugi, however, was looking around for Anzu. She was nowhere to be seen.

"Have you guys seen Anzu?" Yugi asked.

"I don't see her that much. She's usually studying or something." Honda pointed out.

"Is something wrong?" Ryou asked as Jonouchi choked down his food. 

"Well, no I guess not," Yugi stood up. "I just remembered I have to go get something from the library."

"What about the rest of your lunch?" Jonouchi asked.

"TAKE IT!" Yugi waved as he ran off.

The short boy hurried through the school halls and up a set of steps toward the library. Something inside of him was telling him to worry about his friend. She may not have had feelings for him but he certainly still had his for her. Once at the library he searched throughout the room for Anzu but she was nowhere to be seen. It was puzzling. When he left, he spotted one of Anzu's friends in the hallway. He asked if he had seen her but she said no. Yugi would have searched longer had the bell for classes to resume rang.

When he returned to class, he found Anzu already there and ready for classes to begin. He scratched his head wondering where she was. Before he could ask her, a teacher came in. She was not one of his nicer ones. Yugi hurried to his seat and class began but he could not concentrate. The way Anzu was acting was not something he could not let go.  
**  
****X, X, X, **

"Hey Earth to Anzu!" Mokuba called out to his nanny.

Anzu looked up and saw Mokuba waving his hand in front of her. She had been fighting hard to not fall asleep but it seemed too difficult to not. She looked at him holding up a homework assignment completed. 

"Can you check my answers?" Mokuba questioned handing her the paper. 

"Yeah sure," Anzu took the paper.

It was math homework, or at least it looked like math homework. She could hardly focus on the paper and what was written on it. To her everything looked jumbled. She shook her head trying to focus but it did no good. Suddenly her stomach let out a loud growl.

"Wow, if you were hungry I would have gotten the cook to bring you something," Mokuba said scratching his head.

"I'm fine," she lied. Of course, she was not fine. She had no energy left in her. Without a decent meal, there was no way she could go on like this. Anzu looked at her watch and noticed Seto would be home. She quickly packed her things and got up, hoping to avoid the issue that she was hungry, very hungry.

"Let's go wait for your brother," Anzu said. Mokuba gave a small smile, still concerned but when Anzu flashed her smile, he could not help but grin. He scampered out of the room and was gone. Anzu took several steps before her whole world spinning. She would have collapsed had she not been close to a wall at that point. After regaining herself, she slowly walked down the hall.

When she finally reached the entrance hall, Anzu saw Seto was already here. He was talking to Mokuba who was happily telling him about his day. Afterwards, Seto ruffled his dark locks. Anzu approached them, smoothing out her clothes and hoping her hair looked okay. She took her spot near them, waiting for their conversation to end. When Seto turned, Anzu opened her mouth to say hi but he just walked off. Anzu stared after him.

He did not notice me. She thought sadly. She lowered her head and then realized she had to be happy. Last thing she needed was for Mokuba to bug her about why she was sad. She did not want him to worry. She did not want anyone to worry.

**X, X, X,**

A few days later at school, Yugi noticed Anzu was looking paler than usual, sickly pale, not to mention that she did not seem to be very cheery either. It began to irritate the boy. He really wanted to ask her what was going on but every time he tried, either he would be unable to find her or something would interrupt them. He was actually worried that Anzu was making herself sick, and he had a good idea how. He could hear her stomach crying for food during class.

This morning however, he asked his mother to pack extra lunch for him. His mother, although finding it odd, made him some extra without complaint. Yugi figured that he could offer Anzu some lunch and finally talk to her. He wanted to find out what was going on. He waited at her locker; very few students were here this time in the morning.

Anticipation filled the young boy as the time ticked away. He hoped Anzu would give him time to talk, as they use to. He prayed that she would. A moment later, he saw Anzu coming up the front steps slowly. Yugi found it odd at how careful she was walking; it was almost as if she was just focusing on walking. He brushed it off and watched her come in. When Anzu got near her locker, she noticed Yugi, her eyes heavy. 

"Hey, Anzu," Yugi greeted trying to sound cheery.

"Hey," she responded quietly.

"Anzu," Yugi said feeling nervous. The girl turned to him, seeing him staring at the floor, his face red. "Will you have lunch with me today?" 

"Oh, I have to um… study for an exam," Anzu lied.

Yugi could feel the lie oozing out of her. He wanted to call her on it but the look on Anzu's face was desperate. Yugi could not force her on it but instead he held out the lunch bag for Anzu.

"Well, here I made extra." Yugi said shoving it in her arms. "I was hoping you could say yes but here eat it anyway."

Anzu smiled and thanked Yugi for the lunch. When the boy was out of sight, she frowned. All the food was going to go to waste. She placed her school shoes on and looked around and noticed Ryou was at his locker. 

"Hey Ryou!" Anzu called out.

The white haired boy turned his head toward her and she smiled at him. She trotted carefully over to him and handed him the lunch. Ryou looked confusingly at her but she simply smiled.

"My mom made me an extra lunch today but I cannot possibly eat it all." Anzu continued to lie. "So here, have some it's really good." 

Ryou scratched his head. "Well, okay, thanks Anzu." Anzu smiled and went back to her locker as Ryou stared down at the lunch.

When lunchtime rolled around, Anzu quickly headed outside to her secret sot so she could take a nap and be refreshed for her afternoon classes. Once she got there, she felt so weak. She sat down on the ground and felt her head pound furiously. Her stomach was growling loudly, craving for food, begging her for it. Anzu ignored it and closed her eyes.

"Hey Ryou, how come you have an extra lunch bag?" Honda asked as he, Ryou, and Jonouchi sat down at the lunchroom.

"Yeah, are you hungry or something?" Jonouchi asked.

"Well, Anzu gave it to me." Ryou said opening it up. "She said her mom made her extra and she gave it to me. Oh wow, ongiri!"

Ryou held up the rice ball wrapped in seaweed. He took a bight and had to admit it tasted delicious. He noticed Honda and Jonouchi were drooling over the lunch. Realizing he would not be able to eat both, he handed over the lunch to share. Just as they were digging in, Yugi came by. Jonouchi noticed him first and waved him over.

"Hey Yugi come over here and try this!" Jonouchi said eating an ongiri. 

"What is it?" asked Yugi putting down his own lunch. It was then he noticed the lunch split between them. He scratched his head in confusion to why it was doing here.

"Where did you guys get that?" He asked, hoping his suspicions were false. 

"Anzu gave it to me," Ryou explained. "She said her mom made too much." 

Yugi felt the color drain from his face. Why would Anzu lie about this? It made no sense and frankly, it made Yugi furious. The usual cheerful boy had had it. He wanted to find the underlying cause of this. If Anzu did not want the lunch then she should have said so instead of lying and shoving it over to Ryou.

"Hey did any of know where Anzu went off to?" Yugi asked.

"Last I saw here she was heading outside, maybe she wanted to eat out there," Said Ryou, now helping himself to the other contents of the lunchbox.  
Yugi thanked them and ran off without another word. He was sick of this new Anzu, and even though his partner's advice was a good one, he could not stay out of it. Anzu is his friend and he was not going to lose her for whatever reason she was doing this. He was sure he knew what the reason was anyway.

Once outside Yugi searched around and asking other students who were outside if anyone one of them saw Anzu. Luckily, one said she saw Anzu walking by the gym, to where Yugi promptly headed for. The short boy rushed as fast as he could to the gym and found no sign of Anzu. She was not inside the gym making Yugi wonder where she was. She must have still been outside somewhere. Her hurried to the side, saw no one, and then decided to head behind the gym. Sure enough, there she was sleeping.

Yugi stared at her, wondering exactly why she was sleeping here. When he approached her, he finally noticed beads of sweat dripping down her face, her skin pale, her face exhausted. Fear enveloped Yugi, what if she was hurt or sick. Yugi rushed to her side and began shaking her, screaming out her name.

"ANZU WAKE UP!" Yugi shouted, grabbing her shoulders.

Feeling her body being jerked around, Anzu opened her weary eyes to see Yugi's purple orbs staring at her. She could see the fear in them and instantly she tried to awaken herself.

"What are you doing out here?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she lied to him again. She slowly got up trying her best to shake the cobwebs out of her head. However, her head was killing her and she wish she could sleep some more. She felt so tired.

"Stop lying!" Yugi yelled. "Anzu, I saw the lunch box I gave you. You gave it to Ryou."

"So, I did not want it!" she yelled back, her head hurting worse. 

"You're sick and you've been skipping meals right. Or is your stomach just growling loudly when it feels like it? In class, I can hear your stomach beg for food! Why are you doing this? Anzu, I am your friend, your best friend since we were kids! Tell me please!"

"You wouldn't understand so leave me alone. I'm losing weight okay?" 

Yugi growled as he watched Anzu trying to steady herself but her body was weak. She needed nourishment.

"NO!" Yugi said firmly. "It's not okay! Anzu, I hate you!"

Anzu froze. She turned around to see Yugi glaring at her. She almost felt her legs give away when she heard him say that. It hurt her to hear her friend say that. She opened her mouth to speak but no words could come out, it hurt too much.

"I hate this you!" Yugi continued sadly. "I miss the real you. Lately all you do is ignoring me and act like some arrogant stuck up girl. The real Anzu who did not care what others thought of her. I miss the real Anzu who was proud of herself. She would show people she was good enough. I miss my friend! The Anzu I miss is the one who talked to me and cheered me on. THIS Anzu is a complete BITCH! If you wanted someone to like you for who you were then you could have came to me because I liked you a lot. "

Anzu felt like a ton of bricks hit her. She glared at Yugi wanting to shout at him but she could not, for everything he said was true. She turned away, feeling tears in her eyes. What had she been doing to herself? She done it all for him and yet he could not even see her. She closed her eyes and felt her legs collapse beneath her.

"ANZU!" Yugi rushed and caught her before she fell completely to the ground. He settled her gently down and watched as tears rushed down her cheeks.

"I did it all for him," she said sadly. "I wanted him to see me but I'm nothing to him. He will never like me. Why did I have to fall for him? Anyone at all but why did it have to be Seto Kaiba?" 

Yugi watched the girl trembling, tears poured down her face. Yugi wrapped his arms around her, allowing the fragile girl to cry in his shoulder. She buried her face into him crying into him, her warm tears soaking his blazer. Yugi looked down unable to say anything. It hurt to fall in love, he knew that well but what could he say or do to make Anzu feel better? He did not want to get her on the rebound. However, it hurt him too see her like this. What could he do? What could anyone do?

"Don't change Anzu," he whispered. "Please just go back to being you." 

**X, X, X,**

**Author Note**- Okay, Yugi finally got to a point where talking would not work so he had to yell at Anzu to get her on the right track. Have you ever gotten to that point? Anyway, leave a review.


	24. Call Me Anzu

**Melting the Ice**

**Chapter 24**

**Call me Anzu**

"I guess I just wanted him to notice me," Anzu said looking at the sky.

Yugi and Anzu were sitting outside on bleachers, watching the students taking gym class run. Neither of them cared if they were going to be late for class or that their friends would worry for them. Anzu stared sadly fully realizing what she had done was foolish yet it hurt her that the CEO would never see her the way she wanted him to.

"But Anzu changing is not the way. You should find someone who likes you for you." Yugi said.

"I know, but I can't just stop myself." She laughed bitterly. "I feel so stupid. I knew deep down that changing myself could never work but I wanted it to. I just wish he would acknowledge me. Even if he doesn't like me as a significant other, I would be satisfied if he could just see me. Let me be there when things get rough."

"Kaiba has Mokuba for that."

"No, he takes every obstacle on alone. He puts the weight of the world on his shoulders to the point where it looks like he is about to break. I've seen it in his eyes. He looked so sad that night."

"Well Kaiba is different," Yugi sighed. "Its like he is out to prove something to the world."

Anzu stared at the students, watching them run as fast as they can. One boy was running so fast that he was not about let anyone beat him. The boy ran in front getting a good distance against the other students. Finally, the boy won the race, with a good time against everyone. He looked happily getting a cocky attitude. Just then, the bell for the next class rang out. Yugi stood up.

"We better hurry before we're late." Yugi pointed out.

Anzu nodded and stood up. She watched Yugi walk down the bleachers and followed slowly, still feeling a bit weak. Anzu watched as the gym students were hustling into the locker room to change quickly.

"He is out to prove something," she muttered. "Out to prove something to himself and the world."

**X, X, X,**

After school Anzu and Yugi held back from their friends to talk some more. Anzu admitted once again that she had feelings for Seto Kaiba. Something, no one in the entire world would have thought would happen. The two were as different as night and day.

"Anzu are you sure you like Kaiba?" Yugi asked.

"I know it's weird." She sighed. "Maybe opposites attract?"

"Yeah but he does not notice you." Yugi pointed out. "Maybe he does not like you."

Anzu lowered her head slightly. Just the thought that Seto Kaiba not liking her at all hurt. If he was just putting up with her for Mokuba's sake, she rather had not worked for him. Even if he liked her as a friend would make her day. At least then, they could have a mutual respect or relationship.

In the back of her head, she believed that Seto liked her. Maybe he even liked her as a friend. Yugi could see the hurt in her eyes and needed to change the subject. He spotted one of the school flyers for the dance.

"Hey Anzu, the dance is coming up." Yugi blurted out without thinking.

He cringed. Of all the things he had to use to change the subject why that? It was a sore subject for the both of them. Anzu wanted to go with Seto and Yugi wanted to go with Anzu. Yet, since the circumstances were difficult, it looked at if neither of them were going. Yugi, however, could not see Seto at a school dance anyway. He imagined Seto saying it was beneath him to be there.

Yugi then noticed Anzu was staring at the sign. She let out a sad sigh and looked down at Yugi. The idea of Seto Kaiba even asking her to this dance was preposterous. The only times he danced with her was too keep her away from his competition, namely Kaido.

"Kaiba will never ask me to go." Anzu's voice was soft and sad.

"I'll go with you Anzu," Yugi offered.

Anzu smiled at him. "Thank you but I could not accept that. I do not want to use you Yugi to get over my feelings for Kaiba because… I don't think I can."

Yugi lowered his head his hands clenched tightly. However, when he looked up he smiled at Anzu.

"Tell him how you feel." He stated simply. "Kaiba is a strait forward person I think. If you do not tell him how you feel he will not know. It will only hurt you if you keep it hidden. I know, it hurt a lot being rejected by you Anzu but I feel better. No, I really do. I hid it inside me for so long but I feel relieved."

"Yugi…" Anzu smiled at him. "You are right. I have to tell him. If I don't… I'll just be wondering forever."

Anzu and Yugi stopped walking, since Anzu had to go see Mokuba. Yugi looked at her and gave her a thumb up. Anzu ran off waving to him as she ran down the block.

"Even if he doesn't love you Anzu, I always will." Yugi said to the wind.

**X, X, X,**

It was the night of the dance. Anzu was stuck babysitting Mokuba but it did not matter that much. She loved him like a little brother. Not to mention she had no date. She could not very well go to the dance without one. She thought she would look stupid.

Anzu watched Mokuba do his homework as usual. It had become like second nature to him now. He hardly needed her help at all. She smiled at how much Mokuba improved. He was becoming like his big brother, only with a better attitude. She paced back and forth. Her mind remembered what Yugi had said to her. She needed to tell Seto how she felt. Even if he did not share her feelings, it would at least free her from her own torment.

She had chickened out a few times and other times Seto had been too busy that she could not even speak to him. Yet, tonight she was being paid. She would tell him tonight. Soon classes would be over and she already earned enough money for her monthly tuition at her dance school. She did not need the job anymore but she stayed because she loved the Kaiba brothers. She loved them a lot.

"Hey Anzu big brother is home!" Mokuba said excitedly.

Mokuba was standing outside his balcony. Anzu did not even notice the small boy move from his spot. She walked outside only to have Mokuba run away so he could greet this brother, a tradition that happened every time he returned home. Anzu watched as the CEO stepped out of his limousine, briefcase in hand. Her heart fluttered as she watched him from the distance. It was almost painful.

Anzu gripped the guardrail tightly. It was time she told him. She would get her money and tell him. The worse that could happen was he rejecting her. Yet, if Yugi could bounce back so could she. Yet, this was not her and Yugi. This was she and Seto Kaiba. Seto Kaiba, the CEO who was as cold as ice. He was known for his ruthless tactics in duel monsters, running his company, and anything. This, however, was not a game to her. This was her heart on the line.

Anzu proceeded to the entrance. She walked slowly down the dark hallways wondering very well what would happen. Her mind was at a loss that she found herself at the entrance to the mansion before she knew it. She saw Mokuba running up the staircase to her.

"Anzu, big brother is in his study!" he said. "He wants you to see him. He has your money."

Anzu nodded and muttered a thank you. She walked through the twin doors beneath the twin staircase and head for his office. His mansion was almost like second nature. She knew where most of the rooms where, well the ones Seto permitted her to enter. She found his study's door cracked open. Politely she knocked.

"Come in." his voice beckoned.

Anzu timidly entered the room. Seto was sitting at his desk, his laptop out and his documents from the days work lay out.

"I have your pay, Mazaki." He said not even looking up at her.

He pulled it out and slid across his desk for her to take. Anzu walked over to the desk and meekly took it. She did not move. She kept looking at him. Her hands were sweaty and her heart was beating fast. Whether or not Seto noticed, she was still there, Anzu decided to make her presence known. She cleared her throat, but he made no acknowledgement. She tried again a bit louder. Once again, he ignored her. Anzu bit her lip when finally the CEO spoke.

"What do you want Mazaki?"

Anzu rubbed the back of her neck. She really wished she had planned what she was going to say. She felt so nervous.

"Hey, I've been working for you for a while now." She said.

"If you're asking for a raise you can forget it!"

"No, no not at all, the pay is fine." She said quickly. "I was just wondering if you and I can talk on a more friendly level."

Seto looked up at her and stared as if she was an idiot. Anzu felt beads of sweat go down her neck. She never knew how hard it was to say something until now.

"You can call my Anzu and I can call you… Seto…" her voice became a squeak.

"Are you trying to imply we are friends Mazaki?" he asked.

"Call my Anzu…I thought we were… after everything that has happened we can be friends right?"

"Mazaki don't waste my time. I run a professional business and…"

"ANZU! CALL ME ANZU!" she did not mean to yell but she did.

Seto stared at her, his eyes cold. Anzu felt her anger at how oblivious he was to her feelings. This was probably how Yugi felt when he was trying to tell Anzu he loved her.

"Don't you dare speak to me like that again Mazaki!" he threatened.

"ANZU!" she stamped her foot. "Seto, I thought we were friends. We go to the same school, you rescued me from dying, you bought me a dress, you danced with me, and you saved me from being expelled. Please to god Seto Kaiba can't you at least call me a friend?"

"I am your employer!"

Seto stared at her. Anzu felt her eyes filling up with tears. It was hurting her too much trying to convince him.

"I can't do this…" she muttered.

"What are you babbling about now?"

"SETO KAIBA I LIKE YOU! I REALLY, **REALLY **LIKE YOU!" she was crying, her eyeliner and massacre smudging. "I don't know why I like you but I do. I have done everything I could think of to get you to notice me but I was a fool to think you could ever like me or even like me as friend. I would be contempt with that. You cannot even call my name! You are nothing more than a cold-hearted jerk. You don't care about me at all."

She was hysterical now. She kept looking at Kaiba who was just staring back at her. She reached into her pocked and threw the flyer for the school dance on his desk.

"I changed how I look and acted so you would take me to this. I tried to lose weight, act like that stupid CEO from America. I did it all for you!"

By now, Anzu was sobbing uncontrollably. Seto still had the same look he always had. Anzu looked at him expecting some kind of compassion but she was wrong. Nothing on earth would ever change Seto Kaiba, nothing.

"Mazaki…" he began.

"Save it!" she bawled.

With that, she ran from the room as quick as lighting, leaving Seto Kaiba alone. The CEO looked down at his desk and closed his laptop. He took a deep breath and reached over for his cell phone.

**X, X, X,**

Anzu, upon returning home ran to her room and flung herself to her bed. Yugi had been right, everyone had been right. Nothing would get Seto Kaiba to notice her. She buried her face in her pillow and soaked it with her tears. She hated herself for thinking she should change. She felt stupid for thinking Seto would notice her. Now, while everyone was at the Spring Dance, she was stuck at home. Now she knew how Cinderella felt when she could not go to the ball but there would be no Fairy Godmother coming to save her.

She looked up from her pillow, her dark eyeliner smearing off the sides of her eye and running down her cheeks along with her mascara. Her closet stood slightly open and she could see that gown Seto had given her for the Christmas Party. She did not want it anymore because it reminded her of him. The blue dress that made her look so pretty, something she wore to please him.

"Damn it..." she muttered feeling her tear ducts finally dry out. 

Just then, the doorbell rang. Anzu picked herself up and knew she would have to answer it. Her parents were not home. She strolled down the stairs sadly. She wiped her face with the back of her sleeve to try to wipe out the makeup. Pulling open the front door, she found herself face to face with Seto.

Although surprised, anger rang through her and she instantly tried to close the door in his face. Seto placed one hand on the door and easily pushed it open, sending the girl wheeling back. He entered her house, his blue eyes staring at her.

"Get out" she yelled.

"Shut up!" Kaiba yelled back fiercely. Anzu clamped her mouth shut and backed herself from him. The way he was looking reminded her of an animal. He looked like he was ready to attack. She was afraid that if she talked he would snap at her.

"First off don't you ever walk away from when I am talking to you." he started. "Secondly, if you ever try to slam a door in my face again I will personally break your door down."

"Is that all you wanted?" she replied bravely. "You wanted to yell at me for getting upset with you?"

"Shut up! I am not finished. Third, how dare you judge me. Nothing gives you the right to tell me how I should feel about you."

"I wish I knew why I liked you, if I could throw them away I would." she confessed.

Seto sighed and placed a comforting hand on her lowered head. Anzu picked her head up and found him unable to look at her. His hand dropped down to his side. His hands found his head. Slowly he began to run his hands through his hair.

"Don't you get it?" he asked suddenly. "Of course you don't. You're not too bright when it comes to noticing things."

Anzu blinked, unsure of what he meant. He looked up at her with frustration. It was as if a battle was going on inside him. This was something she never saw. When he read the clueless expression her face, it only made him angrier. He pulled out an item from his pocket and threw it at her. Anzu caught it. At first, she was unsure what the item was, but on closer expectation, she felt her heart jump.

"The scarf I made... you...?"

"That was the first gift I have ever received from someone that wasn't Mokuba or a gift that was given to try and persuade me. You gave an insignificant, poorly made, scarf. You gave me a present after the hell I put you. You protected Mokuba and risked your life for him. You pointed out that I was indeed neglecting the only person I cared for."

Anzu cut him off. "What are you saying?"

"You still don't get it? Well you are clueless. I was the one who bought you that dress. I was the one who tried to make you feel comfortable around people like me, rich people. Mokuba persuaded me to go down to your level. That is why I took you to that restaurant and when you left, I was the one who took care of those idiots who harassed you. I did it for you because for some god forsaken reason I want you to stay working for me."

He looked up at her his inner conflict tormenting him. His eyes that were so cold and uncaring flickered with a mixture of emotion, something she never saw. It was then Anzu realized that Seto had noticed her all along. The gifts, the rare moments, the time he opened up, he did it because SHE was there. Had it been anyone else he probably would have brush him or her off but not her. Anzu felt a lump grow in her throat. The whole time she had tried to impress him she never had to. He never cared that she was not as busty or curvy as the American Kaiba Corp Executive. He did not care that she was still friends with Yugi. Anzu felt completely foolish now, looking at the CEO.

Seto shook his head, finally bringing his blue eyes to look at her once again. Those eyes that rarely showed compassion now looked at her as if he was about to break. Anzu looked down at the scarf she made for him and handed it back. Her eyes averted to looking down at the floor. How could she look at him after they way she acted? Then she spilled out all her feelings in front of him. Yet, she could not deny them. They were there and she could not throw them away.

"I can't work for you anymore," she said softly. "It wouldn't be the same. I feel uncomfortable even now after everything I said."

"How much do I have to pay you then?" he asked.

Anzu blinked. Was he trying to buy her off? She looked up at him furiously. She clenched her hands into tight fists, ready to give him a punch. Facing him though, she saw the corners of his mouth curve upward. She lowered her hands in confusion.

"What are you smiling about?" she asked.

"You're so easy to tick off, but I was actually waiting for your comeback."

"Kaiba you are…"

"Seto."

"What?"

"Call me Seto… Anzu."

Anzu could not believe her ears. She looked up at the CEO in disbelief. Her hands were trembling.

"Seto…" she whispered.

"Anzu," he said, the words seemed so foreign coming from his mouth. "I have been trying to keep our relationship strictly professional, but as you can see it has grown into friendship. I… do consider you as a friend."

Without thinking, Anzu threw her arms around the CEO. Fresh tears now were pouring from her eyes. Seto was at shocked at first. He slowly brought his hands to her back and hugged her. When they parted Anzu's face was red and puffy.

"Can you cry anymore, I think you'll flood all of Japan?"

"Oh be quiet." Anzu said turning away. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

The two were quiet for a moment. However, Seto broke the silence first.

"We should get going."

"Where?" asked a confused Anzu.

"To this juvenile dance you were begging me to go to."

Anzu fumed. "I DID NOT BEG YOU!"

Seto smirked making Anzu blush. He was teasing her! Anzu let out a laugh. She never expected the CEO to tease her like this. The Seto she knew had a cruel sense of humor where he would make fun of people in a not so nice way. Yet, this was friendly.

"Well are we going?" he asked.

Anzu took a step forward when she realized how horrible she looked.

"NO! I cannot I look awful! I cannot go in my school uniform. My hair looks bad and my face is smeared with make up."

Seto let out a frustrated sigh. "You are fine just the way you are. But if your girly habits are going to troublesome… I give you twenty minute to get ready. Any more and I am going strait home. I do have a corporation to run."

Anzu smiled and hurried up the stairs. She quickly washed her face, redid her make up, and pinned her hair up into an elegant twist. She hurried to her room and picked out the dress the brothers bought for during Christmas and dressed in it. She fiddled with a pair of silver earrings and a necklace to go with her dress.

"You have two minutes!" she heard Seto impatiently calling her.

Anzu grabbed the matching shoes and quickly hurried down the stairs to Seto who was waiting. He was dressed in the clothes she had seen him in the battle city tournament, his silver trench coat and black underclothes.

"I'm ready." She said.

**X, X, X,**

The dance was filled with couples all having a good time. The walls were decorated with streamers and banners. There was a table filled with food and drinks. Hover over the table was Jonouchi whose suit was unkempt. Standing near him in a rather revealing purple dress was Mai. Jonouchi had asked her which made her ecstatic but she kept her cool. Honda had found the courage to ask Miho from his class. He would have asked Shizuka, Jonouchi's sister but Jonouchi would not have it. Yugi was standing and watching Jonouchi eat while the young Rebecca Hopkins was clinging to his arm. She still wore her red framed glasses while sporting a cute red dress.

"Jonouchi you're a pig!" Mai said. "Come dance with me!"

"No way!" he said. "Dancing is for…"

Jonouchi's eyes went wide and his mouth hung open. Mai looked at him disgusted as small crumb fell from his mouth.

"What are you staring at?" she asked.

She turned her head and gasped. Soon all the students in the dance were staring. None of them could believe it. Making their way through the doors, Anzu was holding onto Seto Kaiba's arm. As they made their way through Anzu felt a twinge of nervousness as everyone was staring. Seto on the other hand was ignoring them as he usually did. His attitude toward his fellow classmates was the same as always, _I am better than you are_.

"They are all staring," Anzu whispered, plastering a nervous smile on her.

"Jealous idiots," Seto muttered back.

When they approached Anzu's friends, Jonouchi's mouth was hanging wide open. Honda's eyes were wide as dinner plates. Yugi on the other hand was silent, unsure what to say. Mai smiled, mouthing to her friend congratulations.

"Catching flies mutt?" Seto said.

Jonouchi came out of his daze and glared at him. "WHATWAS THAT? You have some nerve Kaiba… and what are YOU doing here."

"None of your damn business," Seto said coldly.

Feeling the tension growing, Anzu gently tugged on Seto's arm. He averted his eyes to Anzu and she nodded her head toward the dance floor.

"Let's dance." She insisted. He nodded

The two began to walk off when Jonouchi began to call out when Yugi stopped him. The taller boy looked down at his friend and saw him shaking his head, as if to let them go. Jonouchi looked confused.

"Why are you letting her go off with that creep?"

Yugi sighed but gave his friend a sad smile. "She's happy."

**X, X, X, **

**Author Note: **Yes, I know I took a very long time getting this chapter up. I know, I know but I have been incredibly busy. Anyway, I did NOT have time to proofread and I do not know if my beta reader is still with me. Therefore, I am hoping if she still wants to help me out, she will. If not, I will be looking for one. Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter. If all goes well then next chapter should finish it (unless by some means I need to extend it).


	25. Near the End

**Melting the Ice**

**Chapter 25**

**Near the End**

The dance seemed like a dream to Anzu. A month had passed since then as well as the gossip from the entire school. After the dance, many of the students hounded Anzu about how she went with the CEO. Anzu just smiled and reassured them all they were just friends. Some even attempted to approach Seto on the subject but in his usual demeanor, he brushed them off. However, the gossip ended. The final exams were coming up and most students needed to concentrate on passing to the next grade. Others were too excited for the summer holidays and where they would go or what they would do.

It was lunch break and most students were outside on the nice day. Anzu had her nose in her history textbook while writing notes on important topics. Her grades were high and she was determined to keep them that way. After all Seto did point out to the principal about how her grades never slipped since she started her job. Anzu grabbed a piece of broiled salmon from her Sake Bento box. Popping it in her mouth, she chewed as she read over a paragraph on the Edo Period.

Just then, Yugi, Jonouchi, and Honda entered the room all three stuffed from their lunches. Well Jonouchi may have been stuffed but he could have eaten a whole other lunch. Just then, he spotted Anzu holding a piece of salmon between her chopsticks, while holding up her textbook in the other hand. Sneaky, he crept over to the unknowing girl and chomped down on her salmon. Anzu jumped as she felt the tug on her sticks. She put her book down and saw Jonouchi eating her lunch. From the side Yugi and Honda both were shaking there heads.

"Jonouchi… that is my lunch!" she yelled slamming her hand loudly on the desk.

The blonde haired boy backed away as Anzu came around to chase him away. However, as she got up the wind she created knocked her papers off her desk. She gasped and crouched down to pick them up.

"My notes, oh man!" she frantically began places several pages of notes in order.

"Here Anzu let me help," Yugi offered.

Together they got all the notes in order and Anzu sighed with relief. The pages were both back and front covered. Jonouchi and Honda stared in amazement at how much someone could write, especially in small print.

"Wow Anzu why not just read the whole book," Honda joked.

"Very funny but unlike some people," She eyed the three boys. "I want to pass with GOOD grades."

The three boys grinned sheepishly. Their grades were not terrible but something that Anzu's parents would find unacceptable since they knew just how clever she was. Sitting back in her desk Anzu fixed her notes and began eating her lunch, eyeing Jonouchi just in case.

"I won't take any!" he said throwing his hands up in defense.

Anzu shook her head and began to eat. Yugi sat in the desk next to her while Honda leaned back on one. Jonouchi stood in front of her desk.

"So what are you doing once we're set free?" Yugi asked. "Jonouchi and I are going to join another duel monsters competition."

"That's great." Anzu said. "I'll probably be babysitting for a few weeks in and then sign up for dance classes. I saved enough money for the tuition. I want to get in as soon as I can."

"So you'll be quitting working with Kaiba?" Jonouchi asked.

"Well I suppose so." Anzu said thoughtfully. "Mokuba has improved greatly and hardly needs my help if at all."

"Speaking of Kaiba," Honda began. "What's going on between you two? You two were arm and arm at the dance and now you two look like nothing happened."

"Oh end of term and all besides… Kaiba and I are just friends."

Anzu smiled reassuring her friends and they fell for it. She almost fell for her lie. It was not the end of term. After the dance, nothing seemed to change, beside the fact that Seto told her they were friends. The relationship seemed nothing more than what it had been. It saddened Anzu greatly. She almost hoped that after watching Mokuba, her and Seto could have a friendly chat, maybe even have coffee together.

The bell rang signifying lunch was over. Anzu finished her bento quickly and readied herself for her next class. Yugi, Jonouchi, and Honda took their seats and got out their textbooks. As the students filed into the classroom, Anzu looked up and saw Seto walk inside the classroom. He sat down at his desk. Perhaps he felt Anzu's gaze on him for he turned his eyes to her. Anzu saw him; her cheeks went a light pink. She gave him a small wave.

For a moment, nothing happened. Anzu let out a small sigh seeing that Seto was just being himself. He was acting as if no one should bother him at all. However, to her surprise he gave her a small nod and then turned back to his paperwork. Anzu turned back to her work and smiled.

**X, X, X,**

"How long will you be?" Mokuba asked as Anzu and he entered the dance school.

"Not long," Anzu replied. "Now wait here and please do not go anywhere."

"I won't!"

Anzu smiled at the boy and entered the office of the headmistress. She was sitting across the desk from where Anzu sat last time. She looked the same as Anzu remembered. Her black rimmed glasses and her well-poised composer were the same. She was dressed in a white ruffled shirt and a charcoal color jacket. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun. She smiled and held out her hand to signify Anzu to take the unoccupied seat.

The cerulean-eyed girl smiled and took the seat. She felt nervous yet excited at the same time. The headmistress was looking at a file on her desk and then when she finished she closed it and look over at her.

"I'm glad to see you again." She spoke in a confident voice.

"Thank you," Anzu replied. "I made the money for the tuition so I hope I can start in the summer sessions next month."

"Yes, if you pass the entrance exam."

Anzu tilted her head to the side in confusion. When she was first here, she was told she was accepted to the school.

"But last time I was already accepted."

"No, we accepted you as in you were allowed to take the entrance exam. You see our school operates in two parts: the ability to pay and the ability that you can dance. We do not just allow anyone in our school. We look for determined and talented dancers. Our teachers work very hard and we do not need some lazy inexperienced people wasting our time."

Anzu was taken aback. She never knew there was more to this. It was like a blow to the head. What if she had worked so hard and did not get in? Anzu gripped her handbag hard. Her hands began to sweat. The headmistress pulled out a large notebook with a calendar in it. She took out her fountain pen and scribbled something inside.

"We have an entrance exam in two weeks, which is also the last one before summer sessions. It will be held June seventh at three o'clock. I hope you will be able to make it."

Anzu noticed that the headmistress was eyeing her. Anzu nodded and stood up. She thanked and shook her hand before exiting the room. Outside the room, she saw Mokuba peeking inside a dance room. Several girls were inside doing a complicated routine. Anzu wondered how hard it was for them to enter. She also wondered how many tried and failed. Now her fear was would she be one of them? She had figure out a routine to impress them.

"Come on Mokuba," Anzu said. The young boy hurried along behind her to the waiting limousine. Anzu realized the seriousness of the situation. She tilted her head back and stared at the ceiling of the car. She closed her eyes trying to think of a routine in her head. She needed something upbeat, something that would wow the judges. Not to mention she needed music to go along with her routine.

Anzu shifted her eyes to Mokuba who was watching the TV inside the limousine. The end of the school term was coming and Anzu was positive Mokuba would pass with excellence. He would no longer need her. If she quit her job, she would have more time to focus dancing.

To quit being Mokuba's nanny struck her hard. The very thought sent a twinge of pain deep down inside her. Anzu stared at the boy but the pain about not being his nanny came from him. She knew he did not need her, he never really did. Where did the pain come from? Why did her heart ache so painfully? She knew exactly why but it was still something unresolved. Seto Kaiba, the older brother, she knew her feelings for him were genuine. Seto, however, has only recently accepted her as a friend.

When the two returned to the mansion, the servants were all bustling around the place. Several were vacuuming the carpets, others dusting and polishing the place. Some were scrubbing the floor, while on their hands and knees. Other servants were busy setting up tables in the dining room where Seto had normally his company parties.

"What's going on?" Anzu said standing in the doorway with Mokuba.

"I'm guessing a party." Mokuba replied.

"Ah, Master Mokuba you are home." A chubby servant called out. She looked at the young boy with glee. "Your brother wants you to bathe and get ready for the party tonight. All of the corporate heads of Kaiba Corps International branches are coming."

"Why tonight?" Anzu asked.

"Oh, yeah Seto was working on this new thing for duel monsters. I forgot all about it." Mokuba grinned. "Anzu you should come to the party too! Seto would not mind."

"I'll have to get something to wear."

**X, X, X,**

After returning to her home to get some clothes, the limousine returned her to the Kaiba Mansion. Mokuba left her in a spacious entertainment room saying he would return to escort her to the party. Anzu thought the young boy was adorable for the way he acted. Anzu was dressed in a simple ice blue baby doll dress and heels. Her hair was loose and she wore a touch of makeup to accent her already beautiful face.

Bored waiting, Anzu turned on the radio that was near by and found a nice upbeat song. It was a good beat and something that would be good for dancing at a club. The rhythm was easy to follow. Anzu quickly began to step to the rhythm, a dance coming quickly to her head. Instantly, she began to think about the entrance test. She spun around in one flowing, graceful movement. Anzu closed her eyes thinking about being able to dance in front of people, her dream. Her dream she had since she was a child. All eyes would be on hers, her family and her friends. She could see her mom and dad in the audience in her head. Yugi, Jonouchi, Honda, Ryou and Mokuba would be there cheering her on. Suddenly, Anzu stopped. Would Seto be there watching her from the crowd?

He never seemed that interested in her dancing, for all she knew, he probably thought it was a waste of time. Anzu frowned. Seto Kaiba would not be caught dead watching her dance. She got that vibe from him. He was all work and no play.

"Well, well look what we have here a dancing monkey." An all too familiar voice spoke.

Anzu spun around and saw the infamous Ms Green. Her blonde locks were in curls that cradled her face, which made her look beautiful, model like. Her slim waist and big bust were covered in a very formfitting dress that would make many men drool.

"So YOU were invited to the party. Surprising that Mr. Kaiba still has you around. After all, I still never understood what he sees in such a plain Jane like you."

"None of your damn business," Anzu retorted.

"I don't really care. No matter what you say or do, Mr. Kaiba always prefers looking at me when I am around. I am sure he prefers a woman to a scarecrow like you.

Anzu glared at the female CEO from the U.S. She cared nothing about people. All she wanted was money and she new that Seto Kaiba had it. To think if she married him, not only would she expand her wealth she would be instantly one of the richest woman in the world. The very thought made Anzu nauseated."I don't have time for this." Anzu said turning her head away. "You are not worth my time."Ms. Green smiled. She tossed her blond locks behind her and let out a scoff. Anzu ignored her, not wanting to listen to another word. No, she did not even want to be in the same place as this infuriating woman. She would go home and continue practicing. Forget the party. Having to deal with her was more than enough for Anzu."What... don't you want to stay for dinner?" a coy expression on her face."I have to practice." Anzu replied through gritted teeth."Yeah, you sure do need it."Anzu clenched her fist tightly. It took all her will to keep herself from smashing her fist into the CEO's face. Anzu finished packing her things up and headed for the door but Ms. Green stood in the way. Her smug expression made Anzu's eyes flicker with fire. Anzu waited for the CEO to move from the doorway but instead, she blocked it."Move," Anzu said toneless."What's the magic word," Ms Green mocked.Anzu scowled, "PLEASE move."Ms Green stepped to the side giving Anzu the ability to move past her. Anzu began to walk past but the wicked CEO slid her foot in the way, hooking on to one of Anzu's causing the girl to tumble to the floor. Ms Green let out a hysterical laugh, not even bothering to cover her mouth or excusing how rude she was acting. Anzu glared at her. She had it. She grabbed the blonde-haired woman by her long locks and began yanking on them with much force. Ms. Green's laughter ended abruptly only to become shrieking.Anzu yanked her as hard as she could, threatening to tear out her the CEO's  
hair. Anzu dragged her out into the hallway holding tightly to the locks. Ms Green followed her while continuing to shriek in terror."Let go you dumb bitch!" her screams echoed throughout the hall.

Suddenly, Ms Green grabbed onto Anzu's blouse while her nails dug deep into her skin. Anzu let out a yelp, feeling the blonde-haired woman's nails drive into her like a dog bite. Suddenly, the two began to wrestle across the floor, into a full-blown catfight. However, their screams had not gone unnoticed. Several moments later, Seto Kaiba, Mokuba, and everyone that had just arrived for the dinner party were now staring in shock.In the middle of the floor, Anzu and Ms Green were both in mess. Their clothes were torn, hair astray, and the fight was getting dirtier. Ms Green began clawing at Anzu, her nails striking her chin and neck. Anzu bit Ms Green's arm in hope of getting her to let go of her. Everyone in the hall stared in disbelief, except Seto Kaiba, who instead of looking shocked looked furious."ENOUGH!" he shouted before grabbing both girls by the upper arms.He yanked both women to their feet with much force that he separated them. However, Ms Green was ready to go at it, ignoring the fact that she was making a fool of herself. Julian Carver rushed forward and helped restrain Ms. Green. Despite his old age, he was quite strong. Seto on the other hand kept a firm grip on Anzu's arm forcing her to keep still.

"Mr. Carver, I suggest you take Ms. Green back to the hotel you are staying at this instant," he said in a no nonsense voice.As she was being escorted away, Ms Green let out a foul scream. Seto ignored Anzu and pressed a button on his jacket informing several of his security guards to come to his position. When they arrived, he stated that the party would not take place and everyone was to leave the vicinity. Seto pushed Anzu into the room she had been practicing and glared at her."Don't move from this room," he threatened.He slammed the door shut, causing Anzu to jump. She swallowed hard and sat down on the sofa her hands still clenched tightly. She had gone too far, excessively far. Even if Ms Green was irritating, nothing gave her the right to attack her like that. Yet, she had lost all reason and now very well lost any respect Seto Kaiba had seen in her. Anzu hung her head and looked at her hands. It was then she noticed blond hair in her hand.Anzu gulped realizing Ms Green may have been mad, but the female CEO would definitely be angrier when she found out she would have a bald spot on her head. Anzu would have laughed but the thought of what Seto would do to her drowned any humor the situation would have had.After waiting about ten to fifteen minutes, the door the room flew open and banged against the wall. Anzu jumped as she saw the dark silhouette of Seto Kaiba. He approached her, his eyes glaring at her, cutting through her like a knife. Anzu wanted to apologize but all her courage fled her the moment he entered."Do you realize what a fool you made yourself look like tonight?" he questioned dangerously, "Fighting like two idiot cats? I expected better from you"

Anzu lowered her eyes unable to face him."Worse than a child, you embarrassed me in front of everyone." the scolding continued.Anzu felt tears form in her eyes. She did not mean to but a person could only take so much. She listened to Seto scold her more and more when she could not even handle that anymore. She stood up suddenly, tears pouring from her eyes.

"I'M SORRY!" she shouted. "I know I should have ignored her but I couldn't! I tried but she got under my skin and I could not take it. I am sorry I cannot deal with it like you! I am under a lot of pressure. I have only one chance at getting into this dance school, by the end of the school year Mokuba won't need me anymore, I have exams I need to past, I have a million other things I have to do and I have no time, and it's JUST SO HARD!"Anzu burst into tears. She felt even more like a fool then when she was wrestling. Why did she have to cry in front of him and look weak? Seto stared at her and shook his head. He placed a hand on her head gently. Without thinking, Anzu flung her arms around the CEO's waist and cried into his chest. Her warm tears were spilling on his black shirt. Seto was taking aback, but instead of telling her not to cry, he let her continue. Sometimes, crying just made you feel better.

When the girl stopped crying, Seto noticed her blouse was covered in a deep crimson. He lifted it up to see punctures in her ivory skin. Ms Green's nails had certainly done a nasty job. Seto took her to a bathroom before retrieving a first aid kit. He cleaned her wound for her without so much as word. He bandaged it up and then cleaned up."Thank you," Anzu said gratefully. "If... you don't want me to come by anymore... I understand."

"No," Seto said, "It's all right Anzu. Mokuba still needs you. However, are you sure about quitting being his nanny?"

Anzu looked down and nodded. "Mokuba is a very bright kid. I think we both know that this was to get attention. Anyone hates being neglected. Still, if I get into this dance school I won't have any time at all to watch Mokuba."

"When you get into that school," Seto corrected. "I'll send a driver up front to take you home."

When Seto left, Anzu slumped to her knees. She rubbed her face in frustration. She stared at the floor for a moment until she noticed a shadow blocking the light from the door. She could tell whose silhouette. Her eyes tilted up and she saw Mokuba standing in the doorway.

She smiled at him but the young boy's face looks sadden. His wide eyes looked as they were about to pour out tears.

"Mokuba, what is it?" Anzu questioned her voice full of concern.

"Anzu, are you going to quit being my nanny?" his voice quaking.

Anzu closed her eyes slowly then opened them to look at the boy. She stood up and then nodded, confirming the boy's question. Mokuba turned his head down and vigorously wiped his eyes with his sleeve.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "But this is my dream."

Mokuba did not say anything. Instead, he bolted from the room before Anzu could say another word. He rushed through the many corridors. He did not go to his room. Instead, he flung himself into a smaller private guest room. He buried his face in a pillow and sobbed. The young boy had grown attach to Anzu. He loved the feeling of having someone there with him. It even made Seto pay more attention to the boy. He feared that her leaving would make things go back to they way they were. He did not want that. The very thought of it weighed heavy on his mind.

**X, X, X,**

Author Note- Another chapter down before I have to return to classes. Well enjoy and please leave a review.


	26. Much to Consider

**Melting the Ice**

**Chapter 26**

**Much to Consider**

"Anzu I know you'll do great!" Yugi said.

"Of course, you work harder than any of us." Jonouchi chipped in.

"When do you work?" Honda joked.

The two boys started a fight, which Yugi proceeded to stop before they began rolling across the ground. Anzu told them about the situation with the dance school and of course, they supported. Anzu was happy that her friends were supportive of her in everything now. They had been friends for a long time; nothing should destroy the bond they created.

Finally, after breaking them up, the boys straitened up. Yugi let out a sigh and gave Anzu a weak smile. She smiled back as Jonouchi and Honda brush the dust off their clothes.

"So, do you have a routine?" Yugi asked.

"Sort of," she replied. "But I really want it to WOW the judges."

"I'm sure you'll do great." Jonouchi said giving her thumb up. "You are the best dancer in school."

"Yeah between studying for exams and watching Mokuba… I guess I will not be able to hang out much. Not to mention I have to be at Mokuba's school in twenty minutes."

"We're heading over to Yugi's," Honda said.

"I hope to study and not play Duel Monsters." She said, raising and eyebrow the boys.

The three smiled sheepishly. Of course, they wanted to play Duel Monsters. There were competitions in the summer and Yugi and Jonouchi wanted very much to be in them and win! The four said their goodbyes, allowing Anzu to go watch the younger Kaiba.

As Anzu walked away, her mind drifted to Seto and wondered if he would come and see her? She knew if she asked Mokuba he would definitely come. She thought better to consult with Seto first just in case if something important were to come up. _Yeah, that excuse was pathetic_. She knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to talk to Seto and not just about the entrance exam to the school. No, she wanted to talk about them. Although she was busy, her mind seemed to wander to that day but now she would be leaving the brothers soon.

What could she do? She thought that by now things would have evolved into something more, instead it did not. Their relationship was at a standstill. Of course, they talked. They had their brief meetings in his office to get her pay or when Seto came home and they greeted each other at the door. Those were coming and going instances.

The idea of quitting her job did not hit hard until recently. Perhaps it was even during the catfight with Ms Green. Maybe it was when Seto consoled her right after, that even though his exterior was hard as ice. His inside no matter how he tried to hide it was gentle. She had feelings for that Seto, the one she learned through a course of nearly a year.

Anzu turned her gaze to Mokuba's school and saw the young boy leaning against his black limousine. He had a sour look on his face, something she was not accustomed to seeing until recently.

**X, X, X,**

"Anzu can you help me with his problem?" Mokuba asked.

"Mokuba you do it the same way as the last problem." Anzu said.

Mokuba and Anzu both had their textbooks and notebooks sprawled across his room in attempt to study. Both had exams next week and both of them wanted to pass. Anzu however, wanted to get the exams over it and focus her last few days solely on her dancing. Her schedule was completely full. Between school, babysitting, studying, and practicing, Anzu had no time for a social life.

"I don't understand how to do it." He said stubbornly.

Anzu frowned. Ever since the day of the party, Mokuba had been trying to get her attention in every way. When Anzu tried to comment he did not need her, the boy instantly sent her on a guilt trip. It was a pain. Every so often when Anzu tried to practice dancing to relieve the stress of studying, Mokuba seemed to need more help. Of course, she knew he was doing it on purpose but she could not take chances. If he failed his exams from her neglect, Seto would kill her. That is if she was lucky.

Mokuba shoved the notebook on her lap. Anzu stared at it. It was the exact same steps as the last one. She threw the notebook back towards him refusing to do the problem. If he did not try, he would never learn, even though she believed he already knew how.

"Why won't you help me?" he whined.

"Mokuba you already know how!" she scolded.

"I do not!"

"YES YOU DO! SO STOP ACTING STUBBORN!"

Anzu gasped and covered her mouth. She did not mean to yell. Mokuba stared at her and then threw his book across the room and fled from her. Anzu watched him run out of the room. She shook her head while at the same time Seto walked in.

"Trouble?" he questioned sarcastically.

Anzu let out a groan and fell on her back. She took her book and placed it on head in defeat. Seto approached her and pulled the book off her. Her cerulean eyes stared into his. He held out his hand helping her up from the floor.

"Mokuba is just being difficult." She sighed. "It's like he wants me to be his nanny forever."

"He'll get over it." Seto said, holding out his hand.

Anzu took his hand and he helped her up. She smiled, blushing slightly. His hand felt so warm and comforting through all the chaos that was going on.

"Maybe you should take a break from everything." He said. "You look like a wreck."

"I have no time to take a break, Mr. Kaiba." She said with a smile. "I have to study and work on my dancing."

Anzu pushed past him playfully, and went to retrieve her school bag when she tripped over a textbook. Seto stuck his arm out, catching her around the waist. He steadied her and then shook his head.

"Klutz," he muttered.

Anzu blushed slightly, averting her eyes from him. Even now after everything. Anzu felt herself unable to look at him. Yes, she knew she had some sort of feelings for him. She felt it every time they had moments like this. Yes, they were friends but still Anzu wondered maybe… just maybe there was something more.

"Okay, I'll go home and get some sleep." She blushed. "See you tomorrow."

Anzu gathered her things quickly before heading out the door. When she was gone, Seto looked down at his arm that he caught her. He lowered it to his side and closed his eyes.

**X, X, X,**

Anzu stood in her living room, leaning against the wall. Sweat beads fell down the back of her neck. She was dressed in black leotard, white leggings and legwarmers. Her breathing was hard and she felt tired. Anzu had been practicing for a week strait between her last few weeks of school and watching Mokuba. Yet nothing seemed easy for her. She was tired, mentally and physically. Mokuba and she were in awkward terms now. The boy did not want her to stop being his nanny. He liked the attention too much.

Anzu slumped to the floor. Her furniture was moved off to the side giving her adequate space to move around. A small radio sat on the floor waiting for her to press play. She had found the perfect music. It was a fast pace song that she knew she could do some impressive steps to. Yet, no matter what she came up with for a routine did not seem to measure up. She had no idea what to do and time was running out.

The clock on her wall switch to 11 pm. She sighed and shook her head. It was time to study until the morning hours and then go to school. The brown-haired woman walked up to her room, forgetting about rearranging the furniture back. She sat down at her desk and cracked open her books.

Anzu tried her best to concentrate on her math. Yet, the conflict with Mokuba and her dancing was disturbing. Tapping her pencil to her cheek, Anzu wondered what she could do. She wondered what Seto would do in this situation. He probably talked to Mokuba about it. Yet, what could she say? He grew accustomed to her. Seto did seem to take more notice to Mokuba. She could see why he did not want to give her up. Sighing, Anzu gave up studying for the night.

She needed to settle this with Mokuba as soon as possible. Letting out a yawn, she flopped down on her bed, too tired to get dressed into her pajamas. Tomorrow she would talk to Mokuba that would work.

As she lay in bed, she turned her head to look at her dresser where a picture sat. She picked it up and stared at it. The photo was of her and Seto from the night of the dance. Mai who in turn gave her a copy took the picture in secret. The two of them were dancing and Anzu loved it. The dance seemed long ago but it still played fresh in her mind. That night Anzu felt like Cinderella. She brushed her fingertips on Seto, the only picture she had of him, made her heart beat wildly.

Anzu wish she could sort out her feelings. At first, she felt content with their friendship but even if their meetings were brief, she wanted to be with him. It was something deep inside her, almost painfully stabbing at her. Yet, she could not give up her dream and continue being Mokuba's nanny, no not after she worked so hard. However, worry filled her. If she were to leave and the two became distant as before would their friendship dissolve to what they were before? Would they become just two mere acquaintances if that? The very thought pained Anzu deep into the very core of her heart.

"Seto…" she whispered.

**X, X, X,**

Mokuba sat in his room fiddling with his necklace. He had open up the duel monsters' card shape charm and stared at the younger version of his older brother. He missed the good old days when life seemed simple and Seto was not some CEO of one of Japan, if not the worlds, leading companies.

The young boy continued to fiddle with it until finally he pulled something off. He pulled off a foreign object; something that did not belong but knew what it was. It was a tracker that Seto placed inside to locate him. After his kidnapping, Seto made she he would be able to find his brother anywhere, anytime. That is until now.

**X, X, X,**

_Ring!_

The cell phone rang. Anzu picked her head up and saw her cell phone light up as it rang. Who would be calling her at midnight? She had only been asleep an hour. She grumbled slightly that this better be important or she would strangle who was calling her. When she looked to see who was calling, the phone read KAIBA.

Shocked and confused, Anzu flipped it open. Why would Kaiba, whichever of the two call her? The last thing she needed was Seto to flip out on her or something to that extent.

"Hello," she answered.

"Is my brother there?" Seto's voice called to her.

"Mokuba… no, why would he be here?"

She heard Seto curse. Anzu felt her palms become sweaty. Had something happened to Mokuba?

"He's missing," Seto said. "I went to check on him and he was not his room. When I used the tracker, it said he was in room. He removed it."

"You don't think he's upset at me?"

"That's why I called." Seto's answer came with frustration. "I'm sending out the security to look for him. I'll be out looking myself."

"I'll go too!" Anzu offered.

"No, you stay at home." Seto said. "In case he does show up there."

"No, I should look for him. I am his nanny after all. It is my job to watch over him."

"Anzu… I appreciate the offer… but my team will find him faster if he is out in the city than you will."

Anzu gave up. True what could she do walking around or taking a bus? Yet, she felt the strong urge to go out and help. She conceded to Seto and hung up the phone so he could go on his search. She fell back on her bed, head hitting the pillow. Could she really sit here? No, she could not. Even if she had to walk, she would look for the boy. Not to mention she felt responsible.

_DING DONG! _

Anzu groaned. She picked her head up from her pillow. Who would come to her house at this hour of the night? She got up as the doorbell rang loudly again. The young girl moved out of her room and down the stairs. Anzu moved close to the door worried. Thoughts about who could be at the door worried her. She thought if it being a burglar. She was home alone but then again what burglar would ring a doorbell?

Suddenly, the person at the door began to knock loudly. Anzu peeked through the window and saw no one. Yet, the knocking continued. She flung open the door and saw no one in front of her.

"Hi Anzu," a voice called out.

Anzu looked down and saw Mokuba. She blinked several times. She looked out onto the street and saw a small bike sitting on her grass. She looked back down at the kid and pressed her hand to her forehead.

"What are you doing here?" she gaped. "YOUR BROTHER IS LOOKING FOR YOU!"

She opened the door, letting the boy inside. He smiled up at her and took off his shoes. He probably realized Seto found out her was gone. The expression on his face did not change, yet how could he act so calm. Anzu closed the door behind the boy as he looked at her house.

"You rearranging your furniture?" he questioned innocently.

"Don't change the subject on me!" she snapped. "Answer my question."

Mokuba sighed.

"I'm sorry for getting upset with you." He admitted. "I just really like having you around. Seto pays more attention to me and I am not so lonely anymore. You changed us you really did. Back when we were kids was the last time I could remember Seto acting like this."

Anzu sat on her couch. Mokuba hopped on next to her.

"You mean…"

"When our adoptive father was around, Seto was abused by him." he sighed. "He made Seto work so hard and I guess it stuck with him. He never even trusted people and… and… ANZU I DO NOT WANT TO GO BACK TO THAT. I WANT YOU TO STAY MY NANNY!"

The boy stared at her on the verge of tears. Leave it to a little kid to be so strait forward. She placed a hand gently on his head ruffling his hair. Mokuba felt comfort in the gesture. The affection she gave him was so motherly and he had no recollection of his real mother. If he did, he bet it would be just how Anzu was to him.

"Listen," Anzu said. "I cannot be your nanny."

Mokuba lowered his eyes.

"I can be your friend though. I won't be able to come over as often but if you ever need me you can call me."

"It won't be the same."

"Yes, I know but Mokuba… dancing has been my dream for so long."

Mokuba scooted closer, wrapping his arms gently on her waist. His head lay on her lap, trying his best to hide his tears. Anzu stroked his hair gently.

"Please Mokuba, please understand how I feel."

How did she feel? She felt hurt as well. She wanted to be his nanny and she wanted to work for his brother. What could she do?

"I do… but I'll miss you so much. Seto will miss you too!"

Anzu kissed his head gently. She would miss being with him as well. She loved him like a little brother. Over time, she grew protective of him. The boy was truly something special. When the boy said Seto would miss her, it tugged at her heartstrings. If she gave up her dream, she could be with them, be with Seto. Dancing and exams had buried the idea of leaving the Kaiba brothers, yet the thought always managed to resurface. Fighting with her causing her to doubt her senses, doubt what she really wanted. Anzu closed her eyes. It was her dreams versus her heart. Neither she wanted to give up, but knowing she had to.

She bent down gently, hearing his soft breathing. She carefully moved his wild hair from his eyes to see them closed. He fell asleep. She carefully slipped out from under him and rested his head on a pillow. She headed into the kitchen and picked up the phone, dialing Seto Kaiba's number.

**X, X, X,**

**Author Note- **Well, here comes another dilemma. Anzu's strong feelings for Seto are starting to conflict with her dream of being a dancer.

To tell the truth it is getting harder and harder to write the rest of this story. I have everything planned out and ready to go but no motivation. Even rereading this to make improvements has been slipshod. Sorry, if it is not up to par but my muse for writing this story is draining out of me. I only hope the next chapter will keep you more interested but I needed to resolve the issue with Mokuba losing Anzu. I think Mokuba will move on, he's a kid they'll bounce back.


	27. Accidents

**Melting the Ice**

**Chapter 27**

**Accidents**

Anzu waited at the door, not wanting her doorbell to wake up Mokuba. When she talked to Seto, he was in shock that Mokuba had slipped away unnoticed. It turned out that the secret tracker he placed inside Mokuba's necklace, Mokuba found and discarded. Seto cursed, unable to understand why his little brother would do something so foolish as to discard a security object. After his first kidnapping, he had taken extra precautions for his brother and Anzu's safety.

The CEO stepped out of his black limousine, instructing the driver to wait for him. He walked up the short sidewalk to Anzu's door where she stood waiting. Anzu still dressed in her leotard now had a blue robe draped around her.

"I'm sorry for the trouble," Seto said quietly.

Anzu shook her head. "It's okay; I am not getting much sleep anyway."

Anzu allowed him to enter and politely Seto slipped off his shoes. They walked into the living room to find the boy sleeping quietly on the couch. Seto let out a sigh of relief. He approached the boy but instead of waking him up, slipped off his necklace with a charm that looked like a duel monster's card. Anzu watched as he opened it, and saw a younger version of Seto inside.

"He really cares a lot for you," Anzu said quietly.

Without a word, Seto slipped his similar necklace from under his shirt and opened it. Inside was a much younger picture of Mokuba. Anzu noted that Mokuba seemed the same in both, light hearted and gently. However, Seto who had a similar expression as his younger brother did in the picture, soft a gentle looked nothing like how the CEO looked now. His features were sharp and cold making it hard for Anzu to see him otherwise.

"You know," Anzu said with a faint laugh.

Seto began replacing the tracker back inside Mokuba's necklace. He did not look up from his work but continued listening to the girl.

"You are a lot different than I thought you were, Seto."

His name still seemed so foreign to her. Even though now they were on less formal terms, she felt she should still be calling him Kaiba. Seto looked up at her, his cobalt blue eyes looking at her with the same cold expression that hardly, if ever, changed.

"I got to know you a lot." Anzu continued. "And… I am glad. You really are a caring person and heck you even were nice enough to take me to that silly dance."

Seto finished placing the tracker back inside, his eyes shifted to Anzu wondering where she was going with this. He wished she would stop beating around the bush and be strait forward.

"Spit it out, I haven't got all day."

Anzu rolled her eyes. He was still the same Seto Kaiba.

"Seto I… will you come to my tryout?" she asked. "I wanted to ask you and Mokuba to come. It would be great to have you two there. I could use the support."

Seto stared at her.

"I know you'll probably be busy but…"

"It's fine," he replied. "I'm sure Mokuba would love to go... and I'm sure I could squeeze in this silly tryout…"

Anzu was stunned. Yet, he shock formed into a smile. Anzu looked down, rather red in the face now. Of course, she knew Mokuba would support her. However, Seto was a different story. She could see him staring at her from the audience during her tryout. She could see him being more critical than the judges would be. Seto, in her eyes, demanded perfection. In any case, at least she at least got an answer to her question.

"Anzu," he finally said.

"Yes?"

There was a short pause. Seto stared at her, still a mask on his face. His poker face made him unreadable. Even Anzu could not see through it. Her cerulean eyes looked back innocently, questionably.

"Nothing… never mind, I have to get Mokuba home and you need sleep."

She watched as the CEO gently lifted his brother into his arms. Mokuba continued to sleep undisturbed by his brother. Anzu however, could not let this go. She wanted to know what Seto would have said. Blocking his path, she stopped him from moving to the door.

"Please tell me," Anzu pleaded.

"… Drink tea it will calm you…." Then he walked right past her to the door.

Anzu watched him go, believing there is something he did want to tell her. She closed the door and leaned against it before she slumped to the floor. Tea would definitely help calm her down. She was sure he was going to say something else.

No, maybe he was not going to say something else. Maybe she wanted him to say something else.

**X, X, X,**

Final exams were torture, mainly for Jonouchi, Honda, and Yugi who did not take Anzu's advice on studying. Instead, they spent their time playing duel monsters. The sound of Jonouchi in his seat gnawing on his pencil nervously annoyed those next to him. Anzu marked down the last problem on the fourth page. She averted her eyes from her page to look across the room at Seto.

Seto was already finishing up on the eighth page of the exam. Seto was always the first one done with tests and always scored perfectly. Anzu would have loved to see Seto's reaction if he even got half a point off on an exam. The thought made her smile. Anzu placed her wandering eyes back on her own paper. Last thing she needed was the teacher watching over them to think she was cheating.

After finishing the exam, Anzu was free from sitting in the room. She wandered outside to get some fresh air. The warm summer sun beckoned her to rush out and enjoy the day. Yet, she still had her last test in history. As she traveled around the school building, she saw Seto sitting outside on a bench reading a book. It was not one of the textbooks, but it was not some leisure book, at least not to her.

Staring at him, Anzu felt that fluttering feeling inside her. She felt that every time she saw the CEO. Every time they briefly touched, she got that electric feeling surge through her body. Every time when they were in close proximity, the tingling sensation danced all across her skin. It was like that for the longest time, sensations she could not ignore.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself down she turned the corner. She approached him, a warm smile like the sun on her face.

"Seto…" she called.

The CEO looked up from his book to see her. At this point Anzu could see the book called "Game Theory." Well, it did not surprise her much any advantage that Seto could get in a game was well worth the time to read. Of course, her mind went to Yugi. How much Seto would love to win against him and regain his title.

"Shouldn't you be studying for history?" she asked.

"No," he responded, folding the corner of the page he was on. "Maybe you should be telling your friends that."

"Of course, you'll ace it anyway." She laughed. "As for the guys… well yeah they don't take studies seriously. Oh by the way… thank you."

"For what, I did not do anything."

"For suggesting I drink tea before bed. It really did help me…"

Seto nodded and stood up. Anzu looked up at him. The bright summer sun hit him in a way that made him look beautiful. The sun kissed his skin and lightened his brown hair creating a glowing sensation. His deep cobalt blue eyes looked like two deep pools of water making her feel she was drowning in them. Her cheeks went a light shade of pink, something she was well aware of but wishing she was in control of it.

Her lips parted. She wanted to say something and not just idle chitchat. No something important.

"Seto…"

"We should get back for the next test."

He walked past her. Anzu turned around and watched him walk. She licked her lips, which were surprisingly dry. She craned her neck back at the bench he previously occupied. Staring at the spot, she felt her heart slow.

Why did she find it hard to talk to him and even now when they became actual friends? The words were begging come out but her voice disappeared. Maybe it was because it was not something she could tell a friend.

**X, X, X,**

"FINALS ARE OVER!" Jonouchi said tossing his school bag in the air excitedly. "I'm going to sleep in all summer."

"I'm going to sign up for the upcoming duel monsters tournament!" Yugi said.

"I want to sign up too!" Jonouchi added.

Walking out of the school into the summer sun, Yugi and his friends were excitedly chatting away. They all decided to celebrate with pizza and ice cream for their hard work. Anzu rolled her eyes since she knew very well that her friends did not do that much studying.

The group ordered an extra large pizza with all the toppings. They even got two orders of breadsticks to spilt between them. Although, Yugi, Honda and Anzu all knew Jonouchi would be eating most of the food. As they sat eating, they talked about their summer plans again, to which Yugi brought up an important question.

"What about you Anzu? What are you going to do this summer?"

"You going to that fancy dancing school, aren't you?" Jonouchi piped up.

"I hope so," Anzu sighed. "I still don't have a solid routine for my entrance exam."

Jonouchi began choking down a breadstick he dipped in some pizza sauce. He then slurped loudly on his drink.

"Whatever you come up with will be awesome!" Yugi said. Honda and Jonouchi concurred.

Anzu smiled, gratefully. She loved that her friends were full of support. They were always at her side just as she was during their troubled times, supporting them. Yet, now she had one more friend supporting her, Seto Kaiba.

The thought of him seeing her perform sent chills down her spine. Not in a bad way either. The idea of him, someone she cared about would be there. Not like Yugi and the others were not important, they were, but something about Seto made it more exciting as if she wanted to impress him and not the judges, to do her best for him.

Anzu groaned as Jonouchi tried his best to choke down a piece of pizza that was stuck in his throat. When it did, she shook her head scolding him for the millionth time he did that.

**X, X, X,**

_Shake, twist, leg lift, jump, twirl, leap, shake! _

Anzu stopped and shook her head and scratched off that part of her routine out. Two days until the entrance exam and her routine was nowhere near finished. Anzu kept second-guessing herself, believing her routine was too safe. She wanted it to be bold and daring. The dance routine that she wanted was one the proctors would not be able to erase from their minds.

Slumping onto the floor for a break, she reached over for her water bottle and drank deeply. Sweat beads came down from her temples. She had been at it for hours. A small hand holding a towel appeared before her. Anzu's eyes looked up to see Mokuba. Thankfully, Mokuba understood her need to practice. He was supportive and even gave his input, which ninety-nine percent of the time was positive.

"Thanks," Anzu said dabbing the towel around her face.

"I think that routine was good." The younger Kaiba brother responded.

"It is still too safe," Anzu said. "Play the music again I think I have a better idea."

Anzu got up and tossed the towel off to the side. Mokuba went to his stereo and repeated the music Anzu chose. The music filled the room. Anzu started, twirling and lifting her leg high in the air, bending herself backwards. She fluently moved herself up and twisted around before leaping. She spun around quickly before leaping across again moving to the rhythm.

She wanted to impress the judges. No, not just them she wanted to impress Seto. The thought of him there and knowing how he was, made her work so hard. Seto always aimed for perfection. She wanted to be perfect. Jumping back, she landed on both feet but swung one in the air, bending backward. Recovering she leapt forward and spun around again.

Yes, this routine would impress them impress _him_! She could feel everything coming to place. When the song ended, she found herself in a graceful bow and Mokuba Kaiba clapping hysterically.

"THAT WAS GREAT!" The young boy exclaimed.

Anzu took several large breaths. A large smile crept on her face. Inspiration hit her like lighting. The motivation was like an adrenaline rush.

"Let's try it one more time." Anzu said.

"Are you sure you're not tired?" Mokuba asked.

"I have two days I have to get this down!" Anzu retorted.

Mokuba nodded and turned the music back on. Anzu once again began to do her routine. Mokuba watched excitedly as she did her dance. With adrenaline running high, Anzu could feel herself nailing each move. Just as she went to do a leap the door to the room opened, unnoticed by her. Mokuba turned his head and jumped up from his spot on the floor. Anzu leapt into the air.

"SETO!" Mokuba called out.

Anzu's eyes widened and as she landed, she felt her whole leg collapse. Her body crashed to the floor. She landed hard on the floor, falling to her side.

"ANZU," Mokuba cried rushing to her.

Anzu pushed herself up with her arms but she could feel warm tears down her face. Her ankle began throbbing badly. She looked up to see Mokuba and Seto hovering over her. Hysterically, Anzu began to bawl. Clutching her ankle as the pain surged through her.

"My ankle," she cried. "I think I broke it!"

"Calm down," Seto said.

Anzu could not calm down. The idea of breaking her ankle was enough to set her back, far back. With a broken ankle, there would be no way she could do the entrance exam. Seto tried to examine it but Anzu clutched it with her hands, sobbing uncontrollably.

Unable to stop her from crying or examining her, Seto did the next best thing. He scooped her up in her arms, lifting her easily off the ground. Anzu gasped through her sobs and sniffles to look up at Seto. Anzu was not a heavy girl but Seto seemed to carry her as if she was feather light.

Swiftly, Seto brought her to Mokuba's bed. He laid her down carefully. Anzu's head fell onto the pillow, her cheeks a slight pink. Seto sat on the edge of the bed while Mokuba crawled up next to her. Seto pulled off Anzu's sock to look at the ankle.

"Mokuba go get some ice," Seto said.

"Yes big brother!" Mokuba said jumping off the bed and rushing out the door.

Anzu continued to sob softly as Seto examined it. He touched it and moved it a certain way. Anzu let out a cry of anguish, gripping the bed sheets tightly.

"It's not broken," Seto said, "A mild sprain."

"You're not a doctor…" the dancer whimpered.

"No, but I am a big brother."

Anzu burst into fresh tears.

"Don't cry it will be fine in a few days."

"How am I supposed to dance? If I don't get in now I'll have to wait until next year to get in."

Seto placed a hand on her cheek. Anzu looked up at him, tears blurring her vision.

"You're smart," Seto whispered. "Don't give up. It's not like you."

Anzu wiped her tear.

"And you complimenting someone is very unlike you." She countered.

Seto did not comment on that. What could he say about it? It was just a one-time thing and it would not happen again. Seto smirked quietly at the thought. As long as no one else heard, it would not ruin his reputation.

Suddenly, Mokuba came running into the room. He dove onto the bed with a bag of ice in his hand. He held up the chilly bag toward his brother, his teeth chattering. In all the hustle, Mokuba forgot to get something to wrap around the ice.

"It's not broken is it?" he asked as he handed the ice to his brother.

"No, but it is badly swollen." He said gently placing the ice on her ankle.

Anzu squealed from the cold. She tried to pull her foot away but Seto grabbed her foot and held it still.

"It's too cold!" she cried.

"It'll keep the swelling down," he countered, not wanting her to argue.

Anzu gripped the bed sheets tightly as Seto molded the ice to wrap around her already red ankle. Anzu began breathing hard, the cold becoming unbearable. Seto ignored her while Mokuba watched silently. After about a minute when Anzu finally calmed down, he removed the ice, placed a piece of cloth on it, and tied it around her before placing the ice back on.

"Rest for now and Mokuba make sure she has her ankle iced to keep the swelling down," Seto said standing.

The older Kaiba exited the room leaving Mokuba and Anzu alone. Mokuba looked at Anzu and frowned. She tried to give him her usual cheerful smile but given the current situation, it was not easy.

"I'm sorry Anzu," Mokuba apologized.

"For what, it was not your fault," she gently patted his hand.

"I know but I still feel so bad."

Anzu leaned over and pulled him into a hug. The young boy hugged her back, a small smile on his lips.

"I'm so glad big brother was here," Mokuba sighed when they released each other.

_I am not so sure I am_. Anzu thought sadly. The moment she heard Mokuba called out for his big brother, Anzu realized she lost all concentration. Why was Seto getting to her so much? Why was she trying to impress him again?

Mokuba continued, "If he wasn't here I would have freaked out. He's so calm and good under pressure."

"Yeah… he really is…" Anzu said leaning back into the pillow.

As Mokuba continuously chatted, Anzu stared at the ceiling feeling her heart pound a mile a minute. Somehow, what Seto said made her feel better. Yes, she hurt her ankle and the entrance exam was two days away but when Seto told her to calm down, she felt better. It bothered her that someone like him, so calm and collective could get on her nerves sometimes but other times make her be as ease.

The young girl thought back to when she told Seto her feelings, well somewhat. She told Seto that she really liked him. He wanted to be her friend. Yet, Anzu did not want to be his friend anymore. She wanted to be more. Every time they had their brief meetings, each time something stupid like this happened, each time he came running to her when she needed him made her want him.

Seto returned an hour later with a cloth ankle brace to help support Anzu. As he helped her place it on, she watched him curiously. She would not be working for him soon. If… no _when_, she had to remind herself that, when she made it into the dancing school she would no longer be able to work for him. The very through tugged at her heartstrings, making her realize something.

She knew it now more than ever. Anzu Mazaki is truly in love Seto Kaiba and she wanted to tell him.

**X, X, X,**

**Author Note**- Another chapter finished. Now I know I have been saying the last chapter is coming soon or something to that extent. I never wanted to sacrifice the ideas I had for this story so I kept extending it. Yet, now I have a goal in mind. I want to end this by Chapter 30. By then I should complete everything I want to in this story.

Also, for all you Anzu (and Yu-Gi-Oh) fans out there. **Join my forum** (yes, I know shameless plug). Check out my profile, link should be near the bottom. I would love to chat and talk about upcoming stories from you and me! Thanks and please leave a review.


	28. The Challenges

**Melting the Ice**

**Chapter 28**

**The Challenges**

Anzu supported herself with a wall, alleviating any pressure on her swollen ankle. The ice brought the swelling down but the pain was still there. She felt stupid for letting something like this happen. Now, in two days she had to perform her dance in front of a school of hardcore dance teachers. Yet, she could not dance on one foot. It was impossible.

Anzu tried revising her dance to make it easier, but whenever she applied pressure on her ankle, she collapsed. She tried repeatedly to find a way but doing a dance on one leg was impossible.

Frustrated, she felt her angry and sadness boil over. She slammed her fist against the wall and fell to her knees. Crying, that is all she could do now. She was going to lose her chance at her dreams. That very thought struck her like a punch to the stomach. After coming so far, working so hard, and practicing she was going to lose everything.

Sitting with her knees to her chest and her forehead resting on them, Anzu could not come up with a plan. To be a successful dancer she needed both her legs. She could not come up with a dance that only used one foot. She could not just stand in one spot either. That would make her look amateur.

Why did this happen was the only thought circulating through her mind. She could think of no reason why fate was destroying her chances, unless fate decided to play a cruel prank on her. No, she had no one to blame but herself for being so stupid. Seto distracted Anzu. When she realized he would see her she lost her concentration and this happened.

"This is my fault," she cried loudly to herself. "If I would have just told him I loved him and not as a friend I wouldn't have become distracted. I'm so stupid."

She rubbed the tears from her eyes but they continued to flow.

"I… love Seto Kaiba…"

**X, X, X,**

"You can do it Anzu, I know you can!" Mokuba encouraged.

The younger Kaiba tried his best to support Anzu, but all she did was mope on his bed. He had tried several things. He even did a silly dance in hopes to entice her to smile. Yet, she simply bowed her head and cried. Mokuba frowned.

"You can't just give up," he continued.

"I can't dance," she muttered hopelessly.

"But the entrance exam is in one day!" he protested.

"Why even bother if I can't dance I can't get in."

"YOU CAN DANCE!"

Mokuba shouted at her trying desperately to get her to listen to reason. Yes, her ankle is swollen but if she worked hard and thought carefully, he knew she would come up with a routine that would definitely get her into the school. Seeing her like this made him angry. He did not like this pitiful Anzu. He liked the strong willed one who did not give up without a fight. Now she was giving up without even trying.

Aggravated, Mokuba threw his hands in the air. He plopped down on the floor, his back to her. Anzu stared blankly. Anyone else in her situation would be the same way.

As Mokuba sat grumbling, a clever idea formed in his head. He thought when those goons captured him forced Anzu to duel. Seto chastised her. Every time Seto did that to Anzu, it fired her up.

Mokuba was a nice boy through and through. He never liked insulting someone unless it involved insulting him or his big brother. Yet, desperate times called for desperate measures.

"I guess my big brother was right." Mokuba said slyly.

Anzu looked up. _What did he mean his big brother was right_?

"You are mediocre and you give up so easily," he continued, purposely offending her. "You probably would not have even made it into that school."

Anzu twitched. She brought her head up, first stunned at what the boy was saying and then angry that he was actually saying it.

"Yeah I guess this will save you the **embarrassment**of failing in front of people."

Mokuba got up, his hands behind his head. Anzu who had been moping up until now, was no longer crying. Instead, she was glaring at Mokuba from behind. Her hands were clutching his bed sheets so tight that her knuckles became white.

"Yep, Seto was right, you are a _**loser**_."

Something inside Anzu snapped. She let out a fierce growl and got up from the bed, standing on her good leg while her bad one bent slightly.

"WHO DOES YOUR BROTHER THINK HE IS?" she shouted, getting the younger brother's attention.

Mokuba turned around to see Anzu's cerulean eyes burning with fire. Had she been an angrier, Mokuba swore the room would explode. Yes, he did a good job touching a nerve with her. Then again, Seto was able to push her buttons so easily without breaking a sweat.

"IF THAT **JERK** THINKS I'M GOING TO GIVE UP WITHOUT TRYING HE HAS GOT ANOTHER THING COMING. I'LL SHOW THAT **IDIOT** JUST HOW GOOD OF A DANCER I AM."

Mokuba smiled, happy to have the old Anzu back. One who did not cry over something but saw a brighter side to it. Anzu opened her purse and pulled out her CD. She threw it to Mokuba who caught it after having it fumble between his fingers.

"Play the song," she instructed, through clenched teeth.

The raven-haired boy rushed over to his stereo. He could hear Anzu muttering under her breath about his brother. Mokuba gulped slightly, hoping this would not come back and bite him. He pressed the button and the music began to play.

_Twist, turn, shimmy, shake, spin, spin, and leap, CRASH!_

Anzu fell to the floor hard. Mokuba took a step forward but instead she got up. Her eyes stared at him fiercely. Without a word passing between them, Mokuba knew that Anzu wanted the music to play.

Anzu started again. Yet, when it came to the leap, she collapsed again. Letting out a frustrating growl she got up and tried repeatedly. Yet the leap where she was to land gracefully was constantly being spoiled due to her bad ankle. She needed to think. She needed a way to get through this. Yes, she could omit the leap part but it was important. It was like doing a triple axel in ice-skating. You needed to do it and do it gracefully.

**X, X, X,**

In downtown Domino City, in the Kaiba Corp. building, Seto Kaiba sat reading over several important documents. He looked over at the annual reports and the stocks for Kaiba Corp rose over fifteen percent since the last quarter. Although it was a good achievement, Seto wanted the stock to go over at least twenty five percent. However, with the poor economy lately things were at a slower pace.

There was a soft knock at his door. Seto pressed a button on his desk, which opened his office door. He had that especially built in to keep people he did not want from barging into his office. It turned out to be his secretary.

"Mr. Kaiba I have the annual reports for your competitors as well," she said, a folder in hand. "Industrial Illusions is up ten percent."

Seto smirked.

She continued to read off a list when she came to one that perked Seto interest, mildly anyway.

"Kei Kaido's company is down forty percent since last quarter."

"Seems as if Kaido is going to go bankrupt soon if he doesn't come up with some way of bringing that up," Seto Kaiba grinned at his competitors misfortune.

"Yes, from the important business deal you secured when you returned from New York." His secretary reminded. "Had you not taken time from school it would have gone to Kaido."

He dismissed his secretary who exited quietly. He returned to his work when the intercom on his desk sounded.

"Mr. Kaiba a phone call for you on line three." his secretary called. "It is Mr. Kaido."

"Speak of the devil," Seto muttered as he pressed a button on his desk.

A screen lit up and the CEO Kei Kaido appeared on the screen. Dressed as dignified as always, jet-black hair slicked back Kei Kaido sat. He remained confident even if his company was in jeopardy.

"To what do I owe this _pleasure_?" Seto smirked.

"Seto Kaiba," he said in an irritated tone. "I've come to offer you a proposition."

The Kaiba Corp CEO arched an eyebrow. Leaning back in his leather chair, he crossed his arms and stared at the screen. This should be interesting was the thought running through Seto's mind.

"As you already know, my company is in a financial deficit…"

"How about almost bankrupt," Seto chirped.

"As snide as ever," Kei replied, a slight glare in his eye. "In any case I know you've been trying to buy out my company knowing very well my technology would make your company even farther ahead of the rest of the competition."

"If you are asking for equal partnership forget it." Seto sharply countered. "By the end of the next quarter if by some miracle you are able to come up with something profitable you will have NO choice but to claim bankruptcy and in the end it will go to the highest bidder."

"I won't claim bankruptcy and I will not sell my company."

"Then we have nothing to discuss." Seto said about to hang up to him.

"I challenge you to a game of Duel Monsters, Kaiba," he said getting to his point. "If I lose you get my company and if I win you take me on as your equal partnership."

Seto smirked. A last ditch effort. That was what Kei Kaido wanted. He knew his company was going down, like any company that tried to go up against Kaiba Corp. None could surpass him. Seto chuckled slightly. Kaido kept his dignified manner even though he was irritated that Seto was laughing at him.

"I have no reason to duel you." Seto replied.

"Unless you know you will lose and cannot cope with the fact that I will defeat you. Will you cry like a little baby Seto Kaiba because I will crush you in a duel?"

Kaido knew very well that Seto did not like to look weak. He was playing his cards right. He knew mocking Seto would make him go along with it. The azure eyed CEO felt his hand clench.

"I accept."

"Then I shall see you tomorrow…"

**X, X, X,**

"Anzu are you sure you don't want to take a break?" Mokuba asked.

"I'm fine," she breathed getting up.

She got up and readied her position. Nodding at Mokuba, the younger brother switched on the music. Anzu began her difficult dance. Yes, she had a handicap with only one ankle perfectly functional but it was not going to stop her. She was going to get into that dancing school and show Seto Kaiba she was no quitter.

Anzu spun around flawlessly, letting her leg extend through the air. She did a small twirl before leaping into the air. In her mind, all she could think about was landing successfully.

_Do not fall, do not fall, _she repeated.

As she landed on her good foot she felt herself crumble and fall to the ground. Mokuba stopped the music instantly while watching a frustrated Anzu. She let out a cry before slamming her fists on the floor.

"WHY CAN'T I GET IT RIGHT?" she cried.

"Anzu you did really great I'm sure you will get it."

"Yeah but if I don't land that jump at the end I'll never make it." She sighed miserably.

She got up again, her frustration getting the better of her. She ordered Mokuba to play the music and he conceded. She continued to dance. Mokuba could she how well she nailed each part but the ending was the one she always missed. The finale of the dance if she messed that up it would make the rest of the dance look bad.

Here it came. Anzu was ready to do the jump. She leapt into the air and she landed but as before, she fell to the ground with a loud thump. Mokuba shut off the music and this time rushed over to her.

"THIS IS SO FRUSTRATING!" she cried out.

"Anzu take a break," Mokuba suggested. "I'm sure if you just take a break you'll land it."

"I can't, I want to get in so bad. This is my dream. This is… my dream…"

"What are you whining about now?" a snide voice called.

"Big brother," Mokuba shouted.

Seto Kaiba strode into the room toward the two. In his hand was his briefcase and he was wearing his blue trench coat, a signature style for Seto.

"Nothing," Anzu muttered looking away from him when he stopped in front of her.

"Doesn't seem like nothing," he commented.

Anzu glared at him. "LEAVE ME ALONE! How would you understand? All you think I am is a LOSER!"

She got up, wobbling a bit before getting into his face. Seto stared at her as if she was insane, wondering where she got that idea from. She jabbed her finger into his chest accusingly.

"For your information Seto Kaiba I AM NOT A LOSER! I am going to get into my dancing school and prove to your arrogant face that I can do whatever I want!"

"Good," Seto said, "I'm sure you can do whatever you want but get one thing very clear…"

He pushed her finger away effortlessly.

"I never called you a loser."

"What do you mean…? Mokuba said…"

Mokuba slowly scooted away from the two. Just then, the two shifted their eyes to the boy. Anzu glared at him.

"MOKUBA, YOU LIAR! JUST WAIT UNTIL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!"

Mokuba dashed out of the door when Anzu tried to leap for him. Instead, she landed flat on the floor, since she forgot that her ankle swollen still. Anzu let out a frustrated growl, causing Seto to smirk. He placed down his brief case on the floor and knelt next to her.

"Get off the floor," he said. "You look like a fool."

"Oh be quiet," Anzu muttered. "I'm really frustrated. I cannot get the moves right in my dance. If I do not get it right, I know I won't get into the school."

"Sleep on it," Seto said. "You're too worked up to do anything right now. If you don't relax you'll just keep messing up."

Mokuba said the same thing earlier. Yet, when Seto said it, she wanted to oblige. Listening to him, trusting him has never led her wrong. No matter what situation, he never steered her wrong. Anzu let out a sigh.

"You'll get into your dancing school…" Seto continued. "You better anyway I can't keep you as Mokuba's nanny."

Seto Kaiba got up and picked up his brief case. Anzu watched as his retreating figure went to leave the room. She felt her heart flip in her chest. Her mind began screaming at her to say it.

_I love you! I love you! I love you!_

"Seto!" she yelled after him.

He turned slightly to look at her. She found her mouth opening to say it. She wanted to say it for so long. Yes, she was going to say it.

"Thank you."

Seto nodded and left the room. When he was gone, Anzu slumped forward beating herself for not saying it. Why was it so hard to say three words? It was a challenge in itself. Then again, it was not easy putting your heart on the line. Yet, she felt so strongly about it so why?

Maybe it was because she was afraid that once she did, Seto Kaiba would never accept it. Seto Kaiba a man with a heart that was as cold as ice.

**X, X, X,**

**Author note**- I had this finish for a while but editing is not something I enjoy doing at all. Thanks for everyone for sticking with me so far. The story is almost over, just two more chapters. Thanks for the reviews and the support.

Princess


	29. Winner Takes All

**Disclaimer- **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh

**Melting the Ice**

**Chapter 29**

**Winner Takes All**

Anzu took a deep breath. Today was the day. She would have to perform for the judges. Everything she had worked so hard for would be decided. It was for everything or nothing. Her ankle still was swollen but in a much better condition than previously. Still there would be no easy way to dance on that ankle.

She packed all her things into a duffle bag for the performance. She marked off the items mentally as she placed them in one at a time in her bag. Her shoes, her leotard, her music were just a few of the things she needed. When she was done, she zipped up her bag and reached over for her cell phone. Her exam began roughly at two today. At least she had to be there by then. She knew other girls would be performing their routines today as well.

Quickly she wrote a text message to remind everyone and sent it out to her friends: Yugi, Jonouchi, Honda, Bakura, Mokuba, and… well she did not need to send it to Seto. After all, he was Mokuba'a brother and he would remind him for sure.

_Seto_

Anzu felt her heart somersault in her chest. Anzu shook her head. She needed to get that CEO out of her mind. He was too much of a distraction for her. For a moment, she even thought it would have been better not to invite him. After all last time he was watching her was when she had her accident.

No, she wanted him there. She wanted him near her. Anzu placed her cell phone down and closed her eyes. She needed to be honest with the CEO. She needed to tell Seto how she felt, face to face. Now the question was _when_.

She could tell him tomorrow. No, if she did not make it in the school she would be too depressed. She could tell him next week when they both had time off. That thought made her eyes roll. When did Seto actually have a moment to spare? Well, he did have a moment. Today, actually, he would be at her audition. She could tell him there. Yet, the only question was would she have the courage to do so.

**X, X, X,**

"Seto, we have to hurry," Mokuba whined as his brother sat at his desk in his office.

The young brother was jumping up and down in his chair across from his brother. Only Seto Kaiba would be working on a weekend, which was technically his off day. That is if he ever actually took a day off.

"I know," Seto said. "But I have to finish this and besides we have plenty of time."

Seto checked the time on his laptop computer. Yes, he had plenty of time. Mokuba impatiently began to pace the office. It was now he wished he brought something to entertain himself. Not to mention he was anxious to see Anzu's dance on stage.

When his big brother finally did close his laptop, Mokuba jumped with glee. Seto packed up his things into a brief case and stood up. He hit a switch on his desk to call out to his secretary.

"Have my limo waiting out front," he said through an intercom.

"Yes, Mr. Kaiba but you have a call waiting for you."

"Tell them I'm busy for the afternoon."

"It's Mr. Kaido."

"Patch him in…" Seto sighed.

Seto and Mokuba watched as the black monitor flickered on and the CEO of the rival company appeared. He had a sly smirk on his face his hands pleasantly resting on his desk.

"Oh, Seto Kaiba, do not tell me you forgot our little rendezvous." Kei Kaido said. "Or maybe you are too afraid to duel me."

Seto placed his brief case back on his desk. Mokuba could tell his brother was angry even if it did not show. He knew very well that his big brother HATED being mocked.

"Oh that was today… my apologies if it were something important in that case I would have remembered." Seto coolly replied.

The smirk disappeared of Kaido's face. "Meet me at my company headquarters. When I win you can sign half of Kaiba Corp to me!"

Seto did not have a chance to reply because Kaido had already hung up. Seto opened up his brief case and looked inside. He moved his files and important documents out of the way. He then lifted up a protective cover to reveal his brief case full of duel monster cards, his deck. Each card neatly lay out protectively in its own plastic cover. The top three cards were his precious Blue Eyes White Dragons.

Seto began to remove his cards, carefully selecting which cards to use in the duel. Mokuba watched and then as Seto began to remove his three dragons, Mokuba placed his hands over the cards to stop his big brother.

"You can't duel Kaido now!" Mokuba exasperated.

"I am not going to back out on a duel with that idiot!" Seto said pushing his little brother's hands out of his way.

"We have Anzu's audition to go to!" Mokuba reminded. "She is counting on us to be there!"

"Believe me Mokuba it won't take me that long to squash Kaido in a duel." Seto informed, continuing to select his cards.

**X, X, X,**

Anzu arrived at the school a half hour earlier. Already waiting for her were her friends, Yugi, Jonouchi, Honda and Bakura. She greeted them with a friendly smile. Yet she wondered where Seto and Mokuba were. She did not mention that little tidbit to her friends because she knew Jonouchi would cause a scene. She escorted her friends to the auditorium where several parents and other people were scattered, obviously to support someone.

Anzu noted a judges table at the front. Her friends took seats in the middle as Anzu excused herself to get ready. She walked backstage and found other girls preparing. Some stretching and others were doing last minute rehearsals. Anzu found a small dressing room with several girls changing behind dividers. Anzu found an empty space and placed her bag down.

Unzipping her bag, she took out her outfit and quickly changed into her dance attire. She placed on a pair of black ballet slippers to wear for the dance. She pulled her hair back in a ponytail to keep it out of her face, making it sleek with several of her bangs still loose.

When she finished changing, she looked back in her bag and found her cell phone. She looked to see if there were any calls but there was none. She moved out of the cramp dressing room and toward the stage. She passed by several more girls but ignored them. They were probably just as nervous as she was. At the stage, she pulled the thick dark blue curtain slightly to peer out at the audience.

"Where are you Seto?"

**X, X, X,**

Seto and Mokuba were escorted to an elevator at Kei Kaido's main building. Once inside they were taken to the roof of the building where Kei was. The CEO of the failing company had a virtual duel disk on his wrist. Behind him were several men and woman who Seto assumed were the board of directors. Seto stood across from Kei, Mokuba a few step behind his brother.

A woman approached Seto, she held out a duel disk for him, which he accepted. He slid it in place and arched an eyebrow. Kei pulled out a deck of cards, which Seto wonder what could it contain. He never saw this CEO remotely have any interest in duel monster.

"We'll start at four thousand life points," Kei said. "Of course you know the rules after that since you are _second_ best."

Kei deliberately used the word second to provoke Kaiba. However, he let it roll off his shoulder.

"If I win we enter into an equal partnership." Kei continued.

"You do know who you are dueling with, correct?" Seto asked. "You will not win."

Kei glared at him. "I'll prove you wrong Kaiba and bring down your arrogant attitude."

Seto slid his deck into the slot on the duel disk. Kei did the same. The duel began.

**X, X, X,**

Anzu paced back and forth. The other applicants were waiting for the entrance exams to begin. They were going in alphabetical order, meaning Anzu had a while until it was her turn. The judges were sitting at a table in front of the rows of chairs where the family members and friends sat. The proctors were the dean of the school, the head dance instructors from the school. Now, it was too dark to see out into the audience so Anzu could not even see her friends.

Last time Anzu peered out into the crowd neither Seto nor Mokuba were sitting out there. She wondered if they were here now. She walked back into her dressing room, which was empty from anyone else. She found her bag in the corner and whipped out her cell phone. She dialed her boss's number.

**X, X, X,**

With monsters on the field and life points already taken away, Seto and Kei's fierce duel was in motion. Mokuba cheered on his older brother from the sidelines as his brother's Lesser Dragon (1200/1000) with the magic effect of Raise Body Heat took out Kei's Volcanic Blaster (1200/600) to the graveyard. However, the effect of Kei's card allowed him to take any Volcanic Card to the top of his deck.

"Oh three hundred life points," Kei mused, watching his four thousand become three thousand sever hundred points. "Well then, I shall play…"

Suddenly, the sound of a cell phone ringing interrupted Kei. Seto Kaiba heard his cell phone ringing from his coat pocket.

"Very rude, Kaiba," Kei growled.

Seto ignored him, reached into his pocket, and pressed a button, silencing his ringing cell phone.

"As I was saying, I play Volcanic Slicer(1800/1200) in attack mode and place 2 cards face down. Next Volcanic Slicer attack Seto Kaiba's lesser dragon!"

Seto smirked. "I use the trap card Trap Hole,"

A virtual hole appeared; the monster was destroyed. Amused, Kaiba then drew a card and placed a monster in defense mode. Next, he used his dragon to attack Kei's life points directly sending his life points lowering further. It was Seto with 4000 and Kei with 2500.

"Why don't you just forfeit?" Seto asked.

"Because Seto Kaiba… you will lose." A small grin spread across Kei's face.

**X, X, X,**

Anzu frowned unable to believe that Seto Kaiba was not answering her call. Maybe he was already here and silenced it so not to disturb anyone. Yes, that was it! He was already here. The thought made Anzu's heart flutter. He would be cheering her on with her friends. She placed her phone back down. She walked back down and noticed the group of girls was getting smaller and smaller. Some were leaving happily while others were in tears.

"Next is Suchi Koichi." The head instructor called out. Anzu peered out into the crowd, still unable to see anyone from here.

She closed her eyes watching as the last girl came off stage crying. She hoped that when she would walk off stage, she would not be crying.

**X, X, X,**

The total was 2000 to 1500, when had Seto Kaiba lost control of this duel. He had underestimated Kei Kaido, more so than he realized. He knew Kei was desperate but he did not believe that he knew much about duel monsters at all. Yet, here was gaining and upper hand on Seto. On the field, Seto only had a single face down monster.

Kei had stocked his deck with volcanic monsters. He was able to get Kaiba to send them to the graveyard, or himself. In turn, he was able to summon his Volcanic Hammer (2400/1500) with the effect that allowed the six monsters in his graveyard to do direct damage of six hundred. Then he whipped out a magic card that also did six hundred, called Final Flame. Seto tried to come back but was beat back with an onslaught of magic and trap kept him at bay.

Seto was mildly impressed at the determination of this man. He was desperate to win. Yet, Seto Kaiba was going to crush him.

"I play my blue eyes white dragon!" Seto called, summoning his strongest monster.

**X, X, X,**

"Next, his Anzu Mazaki." The teacher called.

Anzu stepped onto the stage. Nervously she took center stage after she handed her music over to a woman handling the stereo. She could not see the audience at all; all she could see was the table in front and the people ready to past judgment. She took a deep breath and waited for her music to begin.

She was nervous, to say the least. She made sure to wrap her ankle good. She practiced and memorized her entire routine. The only problem was the last part, the leap which she on the landing she kept collapsing. Butterflies fluttered in her stomach. The hot lights made beards of sweat slide down her neck and back. What if she fell again?

_No, do not think like that Anzu! _She told herself.

She closed her eyes, remembering the pep talk, which ironically came from Seto Kaiba. She was going to make it into this dancing school. The music began to play. Anzu opened her eyes; the fire behind them could set the room ablaze.

**X, X, X,**

Kei grimaced as he watched the blue eyes white dragon destroy his Volcanic Hammer sending his life points to 1000. Three Blue Eyes White Dragons were on Seto's side of the field. With the use of magic cards, Seto was able to get them onto his field. Seto ended his turn.

"Oh no more monsters on my side of the field… pity." Kei Sighed.

He drew a card and a spread across his face.

"I use reborn the monster to bring back my Volcanic Hammer and I place this card down and end my turn."

"You have no defense to my Blue Eyes," Seto smirked. "Why not just surrender so I can save you the embarrassment of wiping the floor with you?"

"No, Seto Kaiba I am going to wipe that arrogant smirk off your face with this card… it can only be activated on your turn… it is called Last Turn!"

Seto's eyes widened slightly. He watched as all the cards vanished from the field accept Volcanic Hammer, and went to the graveyard.

"Don't understand Kaiba?" Kei mused again. "Last Turn allows me to choose any monster on my side of the field to play one last round of duel monsters with you. Since Volcanic Hammer is the only one. It will be the one to defeat you. Oh and Last Turn destroy all the monsters on YOUR side of the field and since I knew the Blue Eyes White Dragon were your strongest cards… you will lose to me!"

Mokuba watched horrified. It could not be possible! Kei Kaido outsmarted Seto Kaiba! It was absurd but the CEO was desperate and putting his fate in one card. The only problem was Kaiba's three best cards that could defeat Volcanic Hammer were gone. What could he do?

**X, X, X,**

Anzu danced through each step and position fluidly. She twisted and turned to the music in such a way that the judges were watching intently. The only thing in Anzu's mind though was she was dancing to get into this school. She was dancing because she wanted this so much. She wanted to dance for herself. She wanted to prove to herself that she could do this. She was going to do this because _he_ said she could and _he_ believed in her.

Seto Kaiba, she was dancing because he believed in her. He inspired her, a thought that still surprised her as she spun around gracefully. She could imagine him watching her from the audience, proud of her. Anzu skipped and did a twirl knowing now what she could do. It came time for the leap of faith, quite literally. She could make this jump because he believed in her even when she did not.

With all her faith in this one leap, she flew into the air. Her body stretched so beautifully, she was coming down, and she landed…

**X, X, X,**

"Choose your last pathetic card," Kei mocked to Seto.

Seto smirked, remembering exactly when he said that to Yugi when the first dueled. Yet like Yugi's deck, his desk had NO pathetic cards. Seto peered into his deck and smiled.

"Hurry up Kaiba or are you uncomfortable sharing an office with your knew partner?"

"Kaido, I commend you on your attempt to defeat me. However, once again you overlooked something much like you did with your company. You forgot that you are going up against ME!"

Kei arched an eyebrow and watches Kaiba select a card from his deck.

"And one thing about me is… I know duel monsters and I know the single strongest monsters I have are the blue eyes white dragons. However, together they form the blue eyes ultimate dragon… which is the card I will play!"

He flipped the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon card onto his duel disk and it appeared in front of him. The magnificent creature let out a fierce battle cry.

"And… Last Turn allows me to use any monster… in my deck!"

Mokuba let out a cheer while Kei and his board of directors looked horrified as the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon loomed over them in all its glory. With an attack of 4500, there was no question on who would win. Seto Kaiba had his normal arrogant smirk on his face as he raised his hand.

"Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon…" he said in a triumphant tone, "attack!"

**X, X, X,**

Anzu landed on her good foot and did a twirl as she landed, ending her routine in a graceful bow. The music stopped and she stood up, smiling. She did it! She landed it and she landed it good!

"Miss…" the head teacher began when suddenly there was an eruption of cheers coming from the audience.

Anzu blinked and tried to make out who was screaming for her when the lights turned on. Jonouchi and Honda were clapping and cheering hysterically for her, while Yugi and Bakura were ducking down in embarrassment.

"Someone, get them out of here!" the head of the school ordered.

After being dragged out of the auditorium, Anzu found her face red but she was grateful for the support. Yugi, Jonouchi, Bakura, and Honda cared for her. Yet, where were Seto and Mokuba? A twinge of hurt hit her in her heart. However, the panel before her snapped her from her moment of sadness.

"Miss Mazaki," one spoke. "That was an excellent performance. The best we have seen in years. We could see that you had taken much time in planning your routine and that you are hard worker."

"Thank you," Anzu said gratefully.

"In other words, we want you in our school."

Anzu did a double take. Her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. She thought they would send her a letter or post the people who made it in on a bulletin board. No, instead they flat out accepted her!

"I would personally like it if you can start right away," The head teacher called out. "I was very impressed and you far from amateur. We have a show next month and if you start immediately, I am sure we can fit you in. Is tomorrow is alright with you?"

Anzu stared at them for a few seconds before she came to her senses.

"Yes of course!" she cried happily.

"Then see you tomorrow at noon."

Anzu graciously thanked the judges. She bowed to them and hurried off stage to her dressing room. Once inside she felt the overwhelming surge of pride and accomplishment in her. She knew this feeling would not die from inside her. She knew the moment she left the dressing room her friends would congratulate her and celebrate with her. When she woke up tomorrow to get ready and return here for her first lesson, she would still feel the same feelings.

She slid down into the stool in her dressing room and began to pull out her clothes when she noticed her cell phone. Hopeful, she flipped it open expecting a message to be there. There was none. She even checked to see if there was an E-mail message. None, no one called her.

The cerulean-eyed girl frowned and lowered her phone. Yugi, Jonouchi, and Honda were out there cheering for her. They were here to support her. Mokuba and Seto did not show up. Why, why did they not come? They said they would be here. Did something happen? Were they all right?

Tears glistened over her eyes. She flipped open her phone and dialed Seto Kaiba's cell phone. Luckily, he did hand it over just in case she needed to reach him for Mokuba's sake. When she finished dialing she placed the phone to her ear, holding her breath.

"Sorry the number you are trying to reach is unavailable…"

The voice continued to talk as Anzu brought the phone away from her ear. She heard the recording voice give her options on what to do. At first, she planned on hanging up when instead she pressed the number for voice mail.

"Kaiba," Anzu said intentionally using his last name. "I made it into the school. They were so impressed that they want me to start tomorrow. In other words, I have to quit being Mokuba's nanny now. I'm sorry I cannot tell you in person. I guess you were too busy with something or another."

She then pulled the phone away from her. A single tear slid down her cheek.

**X, X, X,**

The conclusion of the duel sat satisfactory in Seto's mind. He now owned Kaido's company. After all the trouble he caused he was grateful to get the final victory. He slid his deck securely in his coat pocket as he walked over to Mokuba.

"You did great big brother!" the younger brother cheered as he walked next to his brother.

"Yes and now Kaiba Corp. will be even more of a dominant force." Seto grinned wickedly.

Just as they walked outside, Mokuba saw a large TV screen on the building reporting the news of the duel. Just below the announcer was the time: 4:57 pm.

The boy stopped short of the limousine that was waiting for the brothers. The color drained from his face when reality hit him. Anzu's entrance exam for the dance school was an hour ago.

"Mokuba, what are you waiting for?" his brother called out.

"Seto… it's… almost five." Mokuba distressing voice called. "We missed Anzu's audition!"

Seto's eyes widened slightly. The entire time he was dueling Kaido, he completely lost all track of time. Without hesitating, he pulled out his cell phone, which he neglected to answer during his duel. When he looked at it, it said, "2 Missed Calls" and "1 Voice Mail."

Seto already knew who sent them. He flipped his phone open and pressed the button to listen to the voice message. At the same time, Mokuba crawled into the limousine and sat on the opposite side of his brother. Seto ignored his brother and listened to the message.

"_Kaiba_," he listened. He felt a twinge of guilt when she said his last name.

"_I made it into the school. They were so impressed that they want me to start tomorrow. In other words, I have to quit being Mokuba's nanny now._"

He was happy for her, he really was. Even with a sprained ankle, she was able to get in.

"_I'm sorry I cannot tell you in person. I guess you were too busy with something or another_."

He was busy, busy taking over a large corporation. He listened to the message as it finished. He pulled the phone away from his ear when he heard her voice again.

"_I wanted to tell you something_." Her voice was fighting back tears.

There was another pause. Seto listened. He held his breath unintentionally waiting for her. The long pause made him wonder if she hung up. He heard her let out a breath, probably gaining her composure from the last sentence when she sounded as if she was going to cry.

"_Anzu Mazaki is in love with Seto Kaiba. I do not mean it as a friend either. I love you… and goodbye Seto_…"

Seto sat frozen. Anzu just confessed that she loves him. Anzu _loves _him! Was she going to tell him face to face at the audition? Maybe she only said it because Seto technically broke a promise to her. No, he did break a promise and now she was out of his life. She would be going to the dance classes all summer.

Seto lowered the phone from his ear and turned it off. Mokuba looked at him curiously.

"What it is it big brother?" Mokuba asked.

"Nothing, let's go home."

**X, X, X,**

**Author Note- Another chapter down and ONE more to go. Yes, this story is ending. I'm glad that you guys stuck with me for so long. I appreciate it. Thank you for all the reviews. **

**Princess**


	30. Thank You for Everything

**Disclaimer- **I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh

**Melting the Ice**

**Chapter 30**

**Thank You for Everything**

Two months, that is how long Anzu has been at her dancing school. She had been so busy practicing that she hardly could believe that time passed so quickly. It did and when Anzu thought about it, she felt a pain deep within her.

After the phone call she left, she had no contact with either Kaiba brother. She wanted, no, expected some kind of reply. Why did he not reply? Did he not even hear the message or care enough to listen? Even if he denied her, she would cry but eventually move on. As long as he knew how she felt, she would be satisfied.

Anzu looked up at the ceiling of her room. She had the day off today and so far, she was in her pajamas doing nothing. She wished she would be dancing. When she danced, it took her mind off everything. Turning on her side, she found herself facing her closet, which stood open. Peeking out was that dress, that beautiful dress that she danced in with Seto Kaiba.

Letting out a groan, she threw her pillow over her head in frustration. Why did those little reminders have to be around? She needed to do something. Sitting up she flung her pillow carelessly behind her. Yes, she needed to keep busy. What could she do?

Anzu listed off several things she could do mentally. Go to the arcade! Yes, she could go to the arcade and… no the arcade is where she scolded Seto Kaiba when he was neglecting Mokuba. She could not go there. Perhaps the coffee shop, yes a nice cup of coffee would do her some good. Wait, no that is where she met Seto when she first applied for the job as Mokuba's nanny. The park, yes a nice stroll in the park… would be a bad idea. Twice she was in the park and once was when she was in her pajamas in front of Seto.

Anzu let out a frustrated cry. No matter where she would go or what she would do, something would remind her of him. Why did this have to bother her so much?

"I hate you Seto Kaiba!" she shouted to the heavens. "You could have at least told me you didn't like me!"

As she finished her fit, her cell phone rang alerting her. Anzu blinked and picked up her cell phone, which sat on her desk. She looked to see who was calling and saw it read "Mokuba."

_Why is Mokuba calling me now_?

She flipped it open and brought the phone to her ear.

"Mokuba?" she called through the receiver.

"ANZU!" the young boy's voice shouted over the phone. "I need you at my house right away!"

"What?" Anzu asked, bewildered. "What's wrong?"

"You have to come here now! I have no time to explain. PLEASE hurry this is important."

"What… wait Mokuba… I…?"

Before she could finish her sentence, or even attempt to make a sentence, the phone line went dead. Anzu closed her phone and quickly pulled on a pair of shorts and a tank top. She flew down from her room jumping two steps at a time. Quickly she grabbed her purse and slid into her sandals before sprinting out the door.

A jog and a bus ride later the dancer arrived at the Kaiba mansion. She rushed to the main gates and rang the intercom. No one bothered to call out to her. The gates just opened. Had she not been in a state of panic, Anzu would have thought the gates opening without a guard would be strange. However, she continued to sprint across the grounds, which was a long, VERY long.

_I __still__ need to run more_, she thought as she crossed the lawn.

Up the steps to the front door, Anzu slipped and crashed into the door with her hands. Ignoring that little mishap, she banged on the door.

"MOKUBA!" she shrieked, "OPEN UP!"

She banged harder and the door opened suddenly. Anzu stumbled forward only to see Mokuba at the other end of the hall.

"Mokuba what is going…"

Once again, she could not finish her sentence. Mokuba dashed through the doors. Anzu followed, her legs tired from all the running. She followed Mokuba through the hallways, only seeing him as he turned the corner. She tried several times calling him to stop but he either did not hear her or chose to ignore his former nanny.

After a few twists and turns, Anzu burst through a door that led to the dining room. She stopped as she saw Mokuba turning to open the French doors that led to the outside. Gasping for air, Anzu held onto the door for support. Looking up at Mokuba she was about to call out to him when he dashed through the doors to the outside.

She let out a loud groan and continued her pursuit. Now, she was running through the gardens. She remembered how barren the placed look in winter but now with all the plants alive the place looked beautiful. Yet, Anzu could not enjoy the scenery because she had to keep up with Mokuba.

She watched as the boy zigzagged between two large rose bushes. Anzu stopped short realizing she had to go around. Mokuba was much tinier than she was and if she tried, the thorns would prick her.

The brunette followed the path around, Mokuba nowhere in sight. She jogged around trying to peer between the large bushes, hedges, and trees to see if she could spot the boy. Once on the other side she finally spotted the boy who instead of running off walked around a corner of a long row of hedges.

"MOKUBA," Anzu cried.

Walking quickly to where the boy was because her legs were threatening to collapse on her, she was ready to tackle the boy and get an answer out of him. Why had he been running? He called her over in a panic and now he was putting her through a wild goose chase. That boy had A LOT of explaining to do.

Approaching the corner, Anzu stopped. She needed to catch her breath. Running in a panic all the way here and through their home was not something Anzu was looking forward to doing today.

"MOKUBA KAIBA," she shouted in a threatening voice. "YOU BETTER HAVE ONE DAMN GOOD REASON TO WHY I HAD TO RUN ALL THE WAY…"

Anzu again could not finish her sentence. Not because someone cut her off. No, it was because she was staring in awe at a fountain with three angels. The magnificent piece she so long ago seen when Seto Kaiba had absently told her his bloody past. The fountain, now flourished as the water rushed through it and the three angels eyes were pouring out water as if they were…

"I told you they looked as if they were crying," said a familiar voice, a voice that she could never forget.

Anzu watched as Seto Kaiba appeared behind the fountain. Dressed in a long sleeve black turtleneck, black pants, and his signature blue trench coat, Seto walked around and stopped with his back to the fountain. He crossed his arms composing himself into such a manner that screamed self-importance.

He was the same Seto Kaiba she knew from back then. He had the same chestnut brown hair with bangs that fell over his eyes. He had the same arrogant vibe that told everyone that he was better than you were.

Anzu stared at him wanting to say so much to him but nothing at all came out. She was angry and happy. She wanted to go run at him at full force, slap him, and hug him. She wanted to tell him he was conceited jerk and then tell him that… still she loved him. Even after two months of no words passing between them, no contact she still loved him.

He approached her but still she could do nothing but stare, dumbfounded. Inches from her, he let out a grunt.

"Why do you always have a _dumb_ look on your face?"

_WHAT DID HE JUST SAY?_

Anzu snapped from her paralysis and her cerulean eyes went from doe eyed to fierce. She glared at him and then shoved her finger against his chest, jabbing him hard.

"HOW DARE YOU!" she seethed. "I come all the way here because I think something is wrong! I nearly ran my legs off trying to find Mokuba. I then come here and find YOU after months of not even bothering to contact me let alone CONGRATULATE me for getting into my dance school and YOU… YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO INSULT ME?"

"I should have just stayed home and ignored you. I come out here worried that something is wrong and YOU insult ME! KAIBA YOU ARE A CONCEITED, ARROGANT, JERK!"

Anzu raised her hand and went to slap him when he caught her hand. Anzu gasped. How could she ever get away with trying to slap Seto? He stared at her and she was prepared for a scolding, verbal abuse.

"Thank you…" he whispered.

"What…" she questioned completely confused. "What did… I do?"

"…For everything."

Seto loosened his grip on her hand, giving her space between them. She looked up at him for a moment, so confused that she had no idea what was going on. It was then she noticed that he was not completely the same Seto she knew.

"Thank you for everything," he whispered again.

_Everything_ what was everything? Was everything that happened between them since she was Mokuba's nanny? Anzu stepped back shaking her head.

"Seto… two months ago you didn't show up for my audition." Anzu turned away, still hurt that he broke a promise to her.

"You didn't even explain why! Two months and now you are talking about this and that. If I did this and that for you then why did you ignore me? Why didn't you talk or even call me. Were you too busy? Did you just realize NOW that you forgot all about me?"

She felt angry but she could not face him. She did not want to cry in front of him. Her tears burned in her eyes. Anzu wanted, needed, to run away. She could not cry in front of him. Then he spoke again.

"I'm only going to say this once," Seto said.

She clenched her fists and spat out a fierce reply.

"Say what, that you are sorry? Well guess what it is too late to say…"

"Seto Kaiba loves Anzu Mazaki and not as a friend either." He whispered.

Anzu turned around and looked at him in disbelief. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Did she just hear him right? She looked into his eyes; pass the expressionless face to see something flicker behind those cobalt blue eyes. Anzu breathed in sharply, her body trembling suddenly.

"Why now...?" she asked.

"Because, it took me that long to realize how much I really did care for you."

"Well… what if I don't love you anymore? What if I just moved on?" she asked stubbornly.

"Have you?"

No, for the past two months, she wanted an answer and she got it. He loves her. Seto Kaiba loves her… and she loves him. If someone were to ask her back before she really knew whom Seto Kaiba was, if she liked him, she would have replied _no_. Now, she was in love with him. Every part of her wanted to hold him, touch him, and kiss him.

"Seto… I love you…" she burst into tears. "I love you so much."

She turned around and embraced him, burying her face in his warmth. She clutched to his coat holding onto him and never wanting to let go. He held her to him and for once, he enjoyed every moment of this contact. He looked down into her tear-filled eyes; his eyes still a mask, but behind those hard eyes warmth and love that only, she could see.

Anzu moved to him. She wanted to kiss him. She was going to kiss him. She stood up on her tips toes and closed her eyes slowly, moving closer.

"EW GROSS,"

Anzu stopped before their lips could touch. The two reluctantly broke apart. There hiding behind the bushes was Mokuba gagging at the thought of the two kissing.

"I can't believe all this mushy stuff." He choked.

"Mokuba," Anzu said. "I should kill you for making me worry!"

"Aw sheesh Anzu," he whined. "I didn't mean to but I had to get you here somehow."

"Oh, yeah by scaring me half to death?"

The young boy winced and then backed away as Anzu approached him. Yes, scaring someone half to death was NOT a good way to get him or her to do something.

"Uh… err…" Mokuba said as the brunette glared at him, "BYE!"

With that the younger Kaiba ran. Anzu would have ran after him had their not been bushes in front of her. She waved her hands frantically and began shouting after him. Even though she loved Mokuba like a brother, she was angry. Finally, calming down she noticed Seto was standing arms crossed just like always. That was just how Seto Kaiba was, always calm and collective.

"Uh well," Anzu sputtered. "I better get going… I have… uh things to do."

It seemed awkward for her after such a passionate moment and now they were staring at each other. Anzu moved away to head back.

"Yes," he said emotionless, "And I have a company to run."

Just like Seto Kaiba, always busy with his work.

"Um… I guess I'll see you around…?" Anzu nervously called from over her shoulder.

"Whatever," he replied coldly.

Just like Seto Kaiba to go back to things as if nothing changed. Anzu sighed and began to walk away. What could she expect it was Kaiba after all?

Unexpectedly, she felt someone grab her hand. Then unlike Seto Kaiba, he pulled her toward him and kissed her. Anzu was so stunned that when the kiss finished she stood staring at him.

He walked away from her without so much as a response. She half expected him to say he loved her again but he did say he would only say it once. Yeah, that was the Seto Kaiba she knew, strait and to the point

Anzu blinked for a moment. She watched as he walked away. A smile crept onto her lips and she ran after him. Anzu caught up to him and began walking next to him. Her cerulean eyes peered at him from the side before taking her hand and placing it in his. Carefully, her tiny hand gave him a gentle squeeze. He returned it.

Like Seto Kaiba, he kept his cold demeanor as they walked. He had no smile on his face and his eyes looked as if they could pierce into ones soul. She knew Seto Kaiba would never outwardly change. He would always be the same.

Nevertheless, unlike Seto Kaiba, she felt no coldness in his touch knowing very well that his icy heart had finally -**finally**- melted away.

**The End**

**Author Note**- After what seems like forever it is finally over. Thank you all for sticking with me. I must say even though my ideas kept changing this chapter never did. I wanted to end with a change in Seto but not one that would take him over the hills and far away, from whom he was as a character. I also wrote this chapter before the last few chapters knowing that I wanted to post this ending.

The title is almost as meaningful to the chapter as it is as me saying it to you my loyal fans. Yes, you readers out there who supported me even when it seemed like I disappeared off the face of the earth and went through my writers block and busy life. Your support meant so much to me. Your reviews, messages, and such kept me going.

Thank you for everything.

**Princess of the Knight**


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